I was eight years old. My dad, frustrated and impatient, said something that stuck: “You’ll never get it. You’re just not smart enough.” I don’t remember what “it” was anymore, but I remember how those words felt. It was like a door slamming shut on my confidence. From that day on, I assumed I wasn’t smart. That assumption wove itself into my identity, influencing how I showed up in school, in relationships, and later, even in my work.