Learned fears from our childhood
Last week in America was Thanksgiving when families gather, celebrate, and remember. Just like family recipes and other traditions are passed down so can learned fear about “how life works” that keeps you trapped from opening yourself up to possibilities. You know the voice of fear there is something you want in your heart, but your head tells you the reasons you can’t do it, how others will disapprove of your choice, and on and on.
I was chatting about this with a friend and life coach, Michelle Simmonds. We discussed how our parents and grandparents raised families using their community and family knowledge about punishment and reward. This had been built on a strong fear of belonging and approval from society. The rules our parents and grandparents taught us were for the world they knew and expected. Some of these rules were about conformity, avoiding shame, and gaining approval from society, especially for women’s roles.
Letting go of fears from the past
Our world is different. Our life choices are more open. Rules are should be guidelines meant to serve us to find love and the path of our Spirit. Michelle and I talked about ending the family generations of fear, stress, and trauma with the affirmation, “It stops with me.”
To get over the belief means letting it go with the feeling of love and forgiveness to the generations that came before you. They lived in a different world doing the best they could with what was taught to them. Maya Angelou said it best with “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Open to New Opportunity
Michelle and I finished up our chat when I showed her a drawing from this past summer of a woman reaching her hand out and a hand coming down from the sky. When I drew it initially, the art was to convey when we reach out with our hopes and dreams, our angels and Spirit will reach back to support us. It took on new meaning for me in that we can only open our hands to reach out for a new life if first, we empty out the fears we are holding on to from the past.
Albert Einstein stated this idea well. “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” I realized that becoming an artist and entrepreneur has been a challenge for me as I let go of generational fear ideas about career choices.
I hope you find your way to identify and let go of any generational fears that are holding you back from your soul’s calling. I understand that the idea sounds good in theory but where and how to start? A good place is to ask yourself the question, “Who would I be without that thought?”
Yours in Gratitude,
Laurel Latto
DonnaBellas Angels Artist and Founder
