This is a continuation of highlights from our current Building Self-awareness class. An important area to examine is discovering what we learned from our parents. How did our beliefs and behaviors develop from watching how our parents responded and reacted to the positives and challenges life threw in their path?
We should realize that our beliefs, perceptions, attitudes, habits, expectations and assumptions largely originated from the very same traits exhibited by mom and dad. We learned whether they were optimistic, kind, supportive, involved, nurturing simply by living with them and being around them.
In my own situation, I was a Presbyterian and a Republican because that’s what my folks were. I knew no other alternatives. My mom was very involved with us, exposing us to music and piano lessons, theater, and art. Dad encouraged us in sports, but seldom played with us or watched our games. Dad and Mom golfed, so I learned golf was a primary form of family recreation. Almost countless beliefs, attitudes and perceptions flow unconsciously from parents to kids.
We notice both their good traits, and their not-so-good characteristics. And unless parents are excessively abusive, where you are regularly “walking on eggshells”, or exceptionally involved in your day-to-day activities, most of what we absorb from parents is unconscious or semi-conscious. Thus, the bulk of our beliefs, perceptions and expectations mirror those of our parents.
Certainly siblings, peers, teachers and church play a part in our development, as do society and the media. Still, parents are by far the most influential.
Accordingly, we ask our participants to highlight traits and characteristics, positive or negative, of parents. We then emphasize that the few parental traits we consider in the classwork are just the tip of the iceberg.
We alert participants to the fact that they learned from the traits their parents exhibited as well as traits opposite of what their parents displayed. For example, if your father was “strict”, you inevitably learned what “lenient” meant as well.
Only when you moved away from home did your beliefs, perceptions and attitudes develop independent of your parents. For most people many of those early parental values remain with them throughout life.
We further discuss how those beliefs and perceptions constitute deep strengths and talents our participants always carry with them, and those which might be blocking progress in some ways.
There are several additional gems of rare value our participants gain from this particular class. And it is because of the exploration of family origins that our participants realize the truth of our claim, “Even a single discovery can make all the difference for a person”.
It is also in this class that participants really begin to see how the dots begin to align.
They “get” that their life is a tapestry woven of many different parts of their lives. We think you will see the truth of this as we share with you the final three remaining class sessions.
Our next Developing Self-awareness class begins October 5th, 2017. Review the details of the attached course flyer. We would like to have you join us for what may well be the most significant learning experience you have enjoyed in a very long time.
Regards,
Tom Searcy, BCC
Spirit of Eagles
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