Childhood Beliefs

Are you a happy person? Could you be happier? You might want to return in memory to your childhood and view it with adult eyes. Ask yourself: What was the atmosphere like in my family-of-origin? Since you subconsciously absorb beliefs and attitudes and learn a great deal during the first few years of life (especially birth to age 5), dig to discover what your brain absorbed. For example, did any of these beliefs find their way into your brain’s memory banks:

•  Life is serious business - so stop fooling around
• Life is hard - and then you die
• Stop laughing - it's disrespectful 
• Life is a downhill slide into old age – and maybe Alzheimer’
• Quit being so silly - grow up will you
• Pull yourself together and stop giggling – you’re embarrassing me

 

For a child’s developing brain, these types of attitudes can lead to fear, discouragement, sadness, apprehension, and even anger--all of which can be a "fur piece" (as some of the old timers used to put it) from happiness.