Self-Sabotage - Are We Prisoners of the Past?

Many people who suffer from low self-esteem would give anything to escape their painful feelings of inferiority. Almost anything, that is.

People are reluctant, even obstinate, when it comes to giving up their illusions of an idyllic childhood.

And yet, if we are to break free from our mental prisons, we must become willing to honor the truth of our personal history. This is the key to removing our invisible psychological and emotional chains.

Lack of Self-Worth Does Not Develop in a Vacuum

There is just no getting around the fact that our core beliefs about the world and ourselves and our place in this world are pretty firmly established by the time we are three or four years old.

Lack of parental approval in early childhood exacts a heavy toll. Low self-esteem, the root of all self-sabotaging behavior, hangs heavy around our necks for life

"I Left All That Behind a Long Time Ago"

People are quick to grasp at a simple "Out of sight, out of mind" escape. Sadly, this is a fantasy. While you can, indeed, leave home and leave your family life behind, their influence does not leave you.

Negative parental messages carry enormous weight. It is through these concepts that everything else later on, (i.e., for the rest of our lives) is filtered.

Clearly then, if these basic messages are more negative than positive, it is not surprising that we would wind up with a badly mangled sense of self-worth.

A life of self-sabotage and perpetual dissatisfaction is what results, because we simply do not believe, at a SUBCONSCIOUS level, that we are worth anything better.

Traditional Morality Would Have Us Turn Away

People recoil at the idea of finding fault with their parents. We have many religious, social and cultural injunctions to honor, obey, respect, forgive, and worship our elders.

These commandments prevent us from looking upon our caretakers in a less than adoring way without incurring a tremendous sense of guilt, betrayal and ingratitude. So we remain unaware.

What people fail to appreciate is that it is only by shattering our ignorance and examining our formative years that we can come to understand what makes us tick. This awareness will, in turn, allow us to process any distress so that we may finally release it. Not ignore it, not camouflage it, but finally release it.

This is all done in a spirit of healing, not one of self-pity, and certainly not one of denunciation. As a result of discovering and embracing our emotions rather than squelching them, we can finally come alive.

Not only do we gain a new sense of vitality, but we gain a new source of wisdom. And our awareness allows us to cut negative patterns off at their source. You see, we cannot let go of something if we don't allow ourselves to acknowledge what we are hanging on to.

Rational Justifications Do NOT Penetrate the Subconscious Mind

Many well-intentioned people and spiritual mentors will agree that while injurious things may have been said and done, we should be mature or evolved enough to understand that our caretakers were doing the best they could.

After all, they didn't mean to hurt us with their harshness or neglect. Why don't we just rise above it and move on? Surely we are noble and generous-hearted enough to forgive them, yes?

Well, no, actually. And for two very important reasons.

First, this is an attempt to reason things out consciously. It is a fruitless activity, because it does nothing to reach and alter the core beliefs and distress that are stuffed down BEYOND conscious access.

And second, the person whose body and/or emotions were assailed was NOT an adult capable of reasoning things out so rationally. The early distress lives on unabated.

We Cannot Live With the Results

We may be able to carry on, but we cannot really live and flourish while those negative core beliefs remain frozen in time. The tragedy for so many of us is that they remain lodged firmly in place today, without our consent and without our conscious awareness.

Down With the Taboo Against Knowing Who We Are

Rather than continue to justify our ignorance, we must dare to bring the unconscious to conscious light. There are compelling reasons for doing so.

? To heal a mutilated sense of self-worth.
? To process our present moments through fresh eyes.
? To avoid becoming subtly mean, cruel or sarcastic.
? To prevent ourselves from unwittingly passing on our damage.

And finally, and perhaps most compelling of all, if traditional morality continues to deny us knowledge of ourselves and our history, our bodies will end up speaking for us. And this it will do by erupting into disease. Witness the alarming number of people who suffer from depression today.

Our psychological and emotional disturbances must eventually surface as some type of physical or mental malady. Or as I heard somewhere along the way, "If your mouth won't say it straight, your body will say it crooked."

And according to the title of Dr. Alice Miller's most recent book on the victimization of children, The Body Never Lies. Time spent digesting any of Dr. Miller's books is time well spent, indeed.

The greatest healing contribution any of us can make to world is to heal our own wounds, not hide from them or deny them or justify them. After all, we do want to live and not just survive, don't we?

Rosella Aranda is the author of Sabotage Thyself No More, an excellent guide to raising your sense of personal worth and getting rid of self-defeating behaviors.

Free Mini-Course at http://www.sabotagethyselfnomore.com/

Riverside Chicago charter limousine .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, which flew on Mars in April 2021, became the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on a planet other than Earth.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Thieves who have iPhones can usually detect a hidden AirTag in vehicles they are attempting to steal, and an RFID wallet may not help you.
Genmoji, the latest addition to Apple's Apple Intelligence suite, uses artificial intelligence to generate customized emoji based on text descriptions.
It's easy to find yourself swamped in unread emails. Here are a few simple steps to archiving them and clearing out some of your digital clutter.
Keep your retirement plan safe from data brokers selling your personal information. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to protect yourself and your retirement.
Turo faces scrutiny after tragic incidents involving rented vehicles, raising questions about security measures and regulatory frameworks.
A Chinese company has developed a spherical, 276-pound law enforcement robot that has been chasing down criminals at impressive speeds.
Here are some powerful online sleuthing tricks you can use to check the credibility of a website, see old pictures of places you've lived and even learn more about your neighbors.
Beware scam calls: Avoid unknown numbers and protect your personal information. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about the increasingly common scam.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you crush your New Year's goals with these 12 apps to help you stay on track and succeed.
There are many untapped safeguards and tips you can learn to take your Wi-Fi knowledge to the next level, technology expert Kim Komando shares her tricks.
VPNs ensure privacy; antivirus stops malware. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says both are essential for online security.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson cites a new report that says many people still use weak passwords like "123456," risking their accounts.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a tech support scam used a fake Windows Defender pop-up, tricking the victim to call and download software.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals ways to restore accidentally deleted text messages on your Android phone.
A new study says outdoor security camera apps are among the biggest collectors of user data, including phone numbers, payment details and precise location.
In iOS 18.2 and later, Apple's Mail app enhances email management by automatically sorting messages into distinct categories to help find emails faster.
A virtual private network (VPN) allows computer and smartphone users to mask an IP and create a secure, encrypted connection between a device and the internet.
Android 15's latest feature, Private Space, is like a private vault helping to keep your personal or sensitive apps away from prying eyes.
Cybercriminals have more ways than ever to target teenagers; here are some of the most widespread scams and tricks to watch in order to keep your loved ones safe.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
A humanoid robot named CUE6 has got game. The basketball-playing robot, produced by Toyota, claimed a Guinness World Record for longest shot.
With electronic signatures becoming more common, Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to produce your digital John Hancock for online documents.
Kurt the CyberGuy walks through steps he recommends immediately taking after getting new electronics — like phones or TVs — as gifts this holiday season.

You Are A Winner!

You are already a winner, and so am I.Although you... Read More

Change and Transition - 10 Steps to Surviving Change Elegantly

If I say the word "CHANGE" how do you feel?... Read More

How To Have A Life Changing Experience

Can you really plan a life-changing experience, or do they... Read More

Define Yourself With Confidence

As a trainer of coaches I often teach my students... Read More

Does Lack of Confidence Stop You?

Ever had the sense that there is more to life... Read More

Making Conflict Productive

Conflict is unavoidable. How we respond to it makes a... Read More

Fear Is Nothing To Be Afraid Of

Several years, I was listening to a radio talk show... Read More

Mindfulness: Youre Soaking In It!

Looking for a bit more mindfulness in your daily life?... Read More

Your Mental Attitude is The Key!

As a being of thought, your dominant mental attitude will... Read More

Passion To Succeed

"Spiritual Intelligence" (SI) is the ability of a person to... Read More

The Rearview Mirror and the Stuff of Life

Recently, a dear friend who has been both a coach... Read More

Today, A Wonderful Day

Believe me, today is the most wonderful day of your... Read More

Change Your Mind; Change Your Luck

When I was a young man, even a teenager for... Read More

Condition or Definition?

In talking with a coaching client recently, she made a... Read More

Thoughts are Things

You've probably heard this idea at one time or another.... Read More

Let Go of Resentment

Maureen worked in an office with twenty other people, processing... Read More

Business Career, Executive Coaching - The Top 10 Tips to Begin the Practice of Positive Affirmations

Positive Affirmations are things we say to ourselves that build... Read More

Your Thoughts Are Powerful

The only thing between you and your desire to be... Read More

Building Unshakeable Self Confidence!

One of things that Charismatic people share is an unshakeable... Read More

Anamchara - Beyond Positive Thinking

One of the most well known books ever written on... Read More

Gain Confidence By Avoiding The Trap Past Experiences Can Give You In Life

One of the biggest potential problems we face with every... Read More

Keep Your Cool

Know your limits. Accept what you can't change and let... Read More

All Your Problems Are Based In False Beliefs!

All the problems that any individual has in their lives... Read More

How To Live A Life Of No Problems

For most of us our lives are a problem which... Read More

Being Assertive

Many people find it extremely difficult to be assertive, whether... Read More

Lincoln Stretch rentals Lake Villa ..