The Belief Audit

Have you ever noticed how a low mood can make everything in your life look worse, even when nothing has changed? In this episode, Owen Fitzpatrick explores “inner propaganda”: the convincing stories our minds tell us that turn self-doubt and difficult emotions into seemingly undeniable truths. Drawing from his book, Inner Propaganda, and his own experience with depression, Owen explains why our brains gather evidence to support how we already feel, and explores how questioning those stories, taking small actions, and bringing some humor to our inner dialogue can help us navigate difficult days without believing everything we think.

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Key Takeaways:

• Why negative thinking can feel like an accurate view of reality, making it difficult to recognize and question.
• How “mood congruent cognition” leads your brain to seek out memories and evidence that reinforce your emotional state.
• Why feeling certain about a thought doesn’t necessarily make it true—and how that certainty can become a cue to pause.
• How asking questions you can honestly answer can loosen self-doubt without forcing positive affirmations.
• Why working with thoughts, tending to emotions, and taking action offer different ways to respond when you’re struggling.
• How humor and patience can help you take painful thoughts less seriously and avoid feeling worse about feeling bad.

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If you enjoyed this conversation with Owen Fitzpatrick, check out these other episodes:

How to Quiet the Inner Critic and Finally Get Unstuck with Michelle Chalfant

How to Tame Your Inner Critic with Dr. Aziz Gazipura

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