Today's episode is about intergenerational trauma as a new concept and framework through which we can gain liberation from old stories and the "stuckness" that can plague so many of us on the path towards wellbeing.

While we may be very familiar with our own stories and life events, sometimes our own history can only explain so much about how we've become who we are. By broadening our scope to include past generations and their life experiences, we gain a new way of understanding our origins. Because information is passed on to us through genetics, beliefs, home environments, unconscious beliefs and many other subtle forms of influence, our own experience of life is in fact shaped by all generations of our ancestors.

If our caregivers were never given the tools to deal with things such as anxiety, negative emotions, trauma, disappointment etc, then they would not be equipped to pass those tools onto us. Seeing our lives through this new lens, we are able to gain a freedom from the shame and blame that can keep us stuck in old and unhealthy patterns as we realize that we are not internally flawed or weak, and that we have the power now as conscious adults to give ourselves the tools and freedom and love that we have always sought. There is no roadblock, only an inability to access our power for growth and forgiveness and self acceptance.

Learning to tell ourselves new, liberating, and empowering stories about who we are, about our own resilience and strength, and about our own commitment to breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma allows us to begin healing our wounds so as to save future generations from the same pain.

Fostering self love and nurturing our sense of security and peace is no longer just a selfish act, but one that helps us honour the sacrifices and suffering of our ancestors while simultaneously working to give our own descendants a better life than we have known. Our own healing is now a journey for all of humanity as we work to foster peace in ourselves and shine it back out into the world at large.

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Much love

IG @jgvmel

It Didn't Start With You book by Mark Wolynn
https://amzn.to/3pqGuPB

Scholarly article on mechanics of intergenerational trauma:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6127768/?source=post_page-----6d300d70f047----------------------