Our mind is a precision instrument. You can see how effective it is when you give it a clear task. It solves problems, analyzes situations, builds strategies, writes emails, completes the to-do list. It can be creative, clever, and capable of incredible breakthroughs. Given this track record, it’s understandable that we tend to trust our thoughts. They’ve served us well.
And yes—the mind does perform beautifully when applied to a practical task: building something, organizing logistics, finding solutions. But this confidence in our thoughts comes with an overlooked risk: we often forget how little we actually know about the data the mind is working with behind the scenes.
Your Mind Has Access to More Than You Realize
Most people don’t realize that the mind has access to our entire mental “data bank”—every experience, memory, belief, trauma, and emotional association we’ve ever picked up. And only a tiny fraction of this material is conscious.
Research and inner work alike show us that we are only aware of about 10% of our thoughts at any given moment. The remaining 90% operates unconsciously. That means your mind is making calculations and drawing conclusions based on nine times more data than you’re aware of.
That’s a staggering imbalance—and it has consequences. Especially when it comes to our beliefs about ourselves.
The Hidden Root of So Many Thoughts
Let’s say, for example, that deep down you carry a core belief that you’re unworthy—but you’re not consciously aware of it. That belief may never be fully articulated in your waking mind, yet it’s still driving the show. That single belief acts like a root system, feeding hundreds—if not thousands—of distorted thoughts.
Thoughts like:
They don’t really care about me.
I’m not good enough.
Something bad is about to happen.
I’m probably going to be rejected.
All of these are, in effect, fruit of the same poisoned tree.
When we don’t know we’re operating from unworthiness, we take these thoughts at face value. We assume they’re objective truths. But they’re not—they're projections shaped by unconscious fear.
You Can Trust Your Mind—But Know Its Limits
You can trust your mind to get you through your task list. But when it comes to interpreting people’s behavior, or guessing what others are thinking about you, it’s time to proceed with caution. That unconscious databank—the one filled with old fears and faulty beliefs—is not giving you a clear read. It’s giving you a filtered narrative, often biased against yourself.
This is how your mind convinces you not to trust the people who love you most. It’s how it tells you you’re about to get fired, that your partner is pulling away, or that the worst is just around the corner. This is what we call worst-case scenario thinking. And it is very common—especially in those still working to fully recognize their inherent worth.
Pause Before Believing the Fear
If you’re still on the path to self-worth—and most of us are—it’s wise to take a step back from believing every thought you have, especially when it comes to emotional or interpersonal concerns. In fact, it may be time to “break up” with your mind a little. Or at least take what it says with a grain of salt.
Instead of distrusting others, try this: trust, but verify your own thoughts.
When fear-based thoughts arise—especially those telling you something bad is about to happen—pause. Let things play out. Watch reality unfold instead of assuming the worst.
Start a practice of tracking your fear-based predictions. How often do they come true? How often do they not? What you’ll likely discover is what I did: your “batting average” when it comes to worst-case scenarios is actually quite low.
Watch the Pattern—Then Break It
Worst-case thinking tends to be rigid, black-and-white. But life is much more nuanced. And through this simple practice—pausing, observing, letting reality unfold—you’ll begin to develop a wider, more balanced perspective.
Over time, you’ll start to see the trend: you’ve been worrying about things that rarely happen. You’ve been carrying unnecessary fear. And you’ve been causing yourself a great deal of suffering for no real reason.
This realization will, in turn, help loosen the grip of unworthiness. Why? Because you’re no longer reinforcing the false belief that bad things are bound to happen to you. You’re interrupting that pattern. And what you’ll begin to notice is that good things happen in place of the imagined worst.
You’ll begin to trust life more.
And slowly, you’ll begin to trust yourself more.
Not the fear-based mind, but the deeper self underneath—the one that knows you’re worthy.
Because you are.