Like most things in life we learn about love and emotions in our early years. Many psychologists and analysts have documented the role of the mother in this. Our mother’s presence or not is critical to our early development. It can affect our relationships with other women whether we are male or female. But mothers are not solely responsible for child rearing, our fathers are important too. It is about recognising the impact these early years have had on who we are now and what we might need to do to continue to develop and grow. It seems silly to get into old age and still be blaming your parents for the bad start they gave you. At some point it is up to us to heal our own wounds so that we can move on. Parents often parent the way they were parented or they may become the exact opposite of their parents.
What sort of parenting did you have and how has it affected you? If you are a parent, how has it influenced you?
Is there a quality, expectation, thought pattern or behaviour that you need to change because it is no longer helpful to your life even though it was essential in your family of origin? Are you still trying to get the approval of your parents or siblings or are you now travelling on your own path and being true to who you are? How does this early environment still affect what you believe you deserve and the subsequent choices you make?
If you feel there is something here to explore then you can arrange to see a therapist. This is confidential and you do not need to tell anyone. What would it be like if you could really become your best self? The real you could be hiding underneath lots of ‘shoulds’ and ‘should nots’. You may discover that your whole life so far seems more like a dream than reality. Do you need to find a new home, job, relationship or purpose?
This is about beginning to live the life that would make you happy not necessarily the one that impresses mum and dad.