Moving from Inadequacy to Worthiness | The Inner Space

Beneath our striving, our self-criticism, and our endless doing, there often lies a quieter fear: What if I’m not enough? In this episode, we explore the anatomy of inadequacy, not as a personal failure, but as a protective response shaped by early experiences, social conditioning, and survival instincts.

We begin by understanding how self-doubt is not just a mental loop, but a physiological state. When inadequacy arises, our brain's threat system is activated leading to stress, overthinking, and shutdown. This “stuck” feeling, often mistaken for laziness or lack of direction, is actually a defense mechanism, protecting us from the pain of being wrong, rejected, or not measuring up.

Through stories, science, and compassionate inquiry, we look at the deeper roots of this pattern:

• How our worth became tied to achievement, performance, or being "good"

• Why many of us overgive, overwork, or self-abandon to avoid the discomfort of not feeling worthy

• And how this persistent sense of lack gets lodged not just in our thoughts, but in our nervous system and body

Sriram then guides us into a gentle unlearning: a return to worthiness that isn’t earned, but remembered. We reflect on the messages we inherited about success, value, and perfection — and how they shaped the way we show up in the world.

This episode is an invitation to:

• Recognize how inadequacy limits your creativity, connection, and self-expression

• Name the survival strategies you’ve developed to feel “enough” — and meet them with kindness

• Learn to pause, soften, and come back to a more grounded, expansive sense of self

• Begin cultivating emotional safety within, so you no longer seek your worth in external validation

As always, the episode includes practical reflection prompts and micro-practices to support this shift so that worthiness becomes less of an idea, and more of a felt experience.