Self Schema Theory

Have you ever looked at the etymology of the word ‘Abracadabra‘? It comes from the Aramaic phrase "avra kehdabra" and means "I create as I speak" or "It will be created in my words." Think about that for a second. A word we use for magic and spells. Essentially, what you say to yourself, whether out loud or silently, shapes how you see yourself and the world around you.

So if words create reality, then constant self analysis creates the very psychological stagnation it claims to solve. Language shapes reality, internal narratives harden into identity, and rumination multiplies problems instead of dissolving them. Forward motion, responsibility, and lived action interrupt this loop. Meaning can only arrive through living life, not through understanding life.

If you subscribe to this blog then you know it’s constant emotional reflection. There is a theme of analyzing you, myself, and the human condition. I would see patterns in all of us and weave it together to get to the bottom of why we are the way we are. But I’m done with all that.

At some point it clicked that nonstop psychoanalysis will trap you inside the very feelings you're trying to escape. Rumination feeds on itself. You're not getting anywhere by turning the same questions over and over in your mind. Why do I feel this way? Where did this come from? What does it mean about me?

The more I analyzed, the more material I had to analyze. Every insight into why I am the way am became another thing to think about. You can spend years stuck this way, thinking that if you just figure out the right explanation for why you do what you do, you will finally be the person you wish to be.

This is why therapy is bullshit. You sit your ass in a room once a week and rehash the same situations and feelings over and over and over and over and over again. The weekly sessions becomes even more self-examination that keeps you as a victim rather than moving forward. But you need to understand what happened, has already happened. You can’t do anything about it. Move forward and never look back.

What breaks the loop is having a full plate. When you have enough demands on your shoulders that force you to show up and deliver, there's no room left for the thinking. The questions don't get answered so much as they become irrelevant. You're too busy to think about why you are the way you are. You just have to be, and then you have to do the next thing, and then the thing after that.

I don't think most people, including me, have any idea how far they can actually push the envelope. You can carry more than you think. The envelope can be pushed further than you assumed.

My only resolution for 2026 is to say yes to everything and find out. Personal life, business, projects, commitments, whatever comes up. See how far I can go before I actually tap out, rather than the imagined limit I've been operating within. See what breaks and what doesn't.

The only compass you need is your heart and your gut. It’s more reliable than endless self reflection. The heart moves without needing to understand itself first.

Do you know what a self schema theory is? It’s a “psychological concept that explains how the beliefs you hold about yourself shape the way you interpret the world, make decisions, and behave.” The story you tell yourself about who you are becomes who you are through the accumulated effect of thousands of small thoughts that shape your story. So knowing that, what good is it to ruminate or try to understand what you feel?

Kanye is one of the best examples of self schema in practice. This is one of my favourite anecdotes. He used to practice his Grammy speech on his way to the subway when he was nobody. Just some guy on the train, rehearsing what he'd say when he won, speaking it into existence before there was any evidence it would happen. People probably thought he was insane, and they still do. But look what happened. The speech he practiced on the subway eventually got delivered on an actual stage, holding an actual Grammy. He rehearsed a self concept before it was validated. The heart mattered more than evidence. Repetitive thoughts reinforced his identity. That's abracadabra for you.

@cliparchives

Jeen-Yuhs (2022) - "Practice my Grammy speech" #kanyewest #jeenyuhs

You probably won't hear much from me in 2026 unless it's worthwhile. There’s points in life where you can feel when the chapter is closing. I think this is one of those moments. I'm done with the rumination, done with the constant reflection on understanding myself and the world. If I'm saying something, it's because something worked, something broke through, something happened that was worth talking about. Otherwise I'll be too busy finding out how far I can actually go.

Happy new year, I wish you all the best, and always remember that following your heart matters more than figuring it out.

Instagram: @dreamitlab