F*ck Smallness
Because Playing Small Isn’t Noble—It’s Just Bullsh*t Programming
You know that voice in your head that whispers “you’re not enough,” “you’re too much,” or “you better earn that rest or else”?
Yeah. That’s not your intuition. That’s a DOP—a Disruptor of Peace.
Welcome to Root 2: Core Beliefs.
If Core Values are your compass, Core Beliefs are the lens you’re seeing the damn map through. Distorted beliefs? Distorted decisions. It’s that simple. You can meditate until your chakras sound like wind chimes, but if your beliefs are trash, the results will be, too.
Here’s the thing: most of us are walking around with a subconscious script full of DOPs—beliefs we didn’t choose, but internalized from childhood, culture, trauma, religion, social media, capitalism… pick your poison. These beliefs aren’t facts. They’re just sticky little stories that have been running your life from the shadows.
Stuff like:
“I have to be productive to be worthy.”
“If I express my needs, I’ll be rejected.”
“Rest is laziness.”
“People leave when you’re vulnerable.”
“Love has to be earned.”
Sound familiar? That’s a DOP talking. And those beliefs? They’re not just annoying. They’re destructive. They drive anxiety, fuel burnout, destroy relationships, and keep you hustling for a version of yourself you secretly hate.
Enter the EOPs: Enhancers of Peace.
EOPs are Core Beliefs that actually serve you. The ones that keep your nervous system steady, your choices aligned, and your joy within reach. Things like:
“My worth isn’t tied to what I produce.”
“I’m allowed to take up space.”
“It’s safe to rest.”
“I can belong without performing.”
“I’m enough—even when I’m messy.”
These aren’t affirmations you slap on a Post-It and forget. These are earned truths—beliefs you plant, water, and live into. One messy moment at a time.
And here’s how we help that process actually stick:
We use something at Twisted Willow called Hypno-tation—our signature blend of hypnosis and meditation. It’s not woo for woo’s sake. It’s science-meets-soul, designed to hit those deep subconscious layers where your core beliefs actually live.
Because here's the truth: you can't logic your way out of a belief your nervous system thinks is survival. You need tools that speak the language of your subconscious. Hypno-tation does just that. It bypasses the mental noise, anchors new truths, and creates real, lasting change from the inside out. You’re not just thinking differently—you’re feeling different. Acting different. Choosing different.
Let’s talk about “Jeremy”.
Smart as hell. Trauma-informed. Knew all the tools. But anytime something good came his way, he’d spiral—self-sabotage, disconnect, freeze. Not because he didn’t want the good stuff—but because some deep, buried part of him didn’t believe he deserved it.
At the root of it all? A nasty little DOP whispering, “I’m not enough.”
Not smart enough. Not strong enough. Not worthy enough. Just… not enough.
We called it out. Rewrote the belief.
We planted a new EOP:
“I am already enough. Nothing to prove, nothing to earn.”
It didn’t click overnight. But over time? It shifted everything. When your nervous system starts to believe you're enough as you are, your entire life starts to align with that truth.
The Science of Belief (a.k.a., we didn’t just make this up)
Cognitive behavioral research has shown for decades that core beliefs are the root system of mental health. They shape your self-talk, emotional patterns, and behaviors. According to Beck’s Cognitive Theory, negative core beliefs create cognitive distortions—aka, thinking traps that make life harder than it needs to be.
And neuroscience backs the use of tools like guided hypnosis and meditation to shift deep-seated beliefs. Your brain is literally plastic—it can rewire, reframe, and rebuild when given the right inputs. That’s what we’re doing with Hypno-tation: rewiring the inner script.
You don’t need to be “fixed.”
You need to unlearn the bullshit and reclaim the truth.
So here’s your homework (you knew it was coming):
Name 1 DOP you’ve been living under. Be brutally honest.
Write the opposite as an EOP. Something that feels radical but true.
Say it out loud. Every day. Sing it to the tune of a song. Make it a rhyme. Write it where you can see it. Repeat and when you’re annoying yourself repeat again.
This work isn’t easy. But it’s the doorway to actual peace—not performative peace, not Instagram peace, but peace in your bones. You deserve that.
Root 3 is coming next: Relationship to Self. Spoiler: you can’t build one if it’s based on a DOP.
Until then, keep poking the bear.
xoxo,
Lauren & Corinne
Twisted Willow Wellness
