From the first time we open our eyes we begin imitating our parents. When our caretakers smile at us we learn to smile. When our caretakers get frustrated, we learn frustration. In this process we start learning what to fear, what is good, what is bad, and how we should react to situations. It also shows us how to manage our emotions and how to interact with others.

With that said I do want to point out that we are all born with our own temperament or personality and that it does affect how we react to situation, but at our core we learn how to deal with the outside world from what we learn from those around us. As children age, they further develop their own personalities and identities, but in most cases they take on roles that their parents modeled for them. A child that is very giving usually comes from an environment with a parent who acts this way. At the same time, a child who is a bully to others learns this behavior through personal experience.

The silver lining here is that we all have the CHOICE to learn from what we experienced as a child, rather than continue to repeat the patterns and roles we were taught. When living on unconscious autopilot, it is easy to see how one can fall into patterns and roles learned during childhood. Simply taking time to reflect on our childhood experiences and the caretakers who influenced us gives an opportunity to choose to live differently.

Thanks for listening and if you love this episode please share to those that could benefit. Have a great week!