Welcome to Soulful Journeys,
Transforming trauma and healing lives.
The podcast where we embark on a deeply transformative exploration of the human experience as we navigate the paths of resilience and recovery and renewal,
Guided by stories of triumph and healing.
In each episode,
We'll embark on soulful journeys and now and then I'll be joined by survivors and therapists and healers who've courageously transformed their trauma into sources of strength and wisdom.
Together we'll uncover the power of the human spirit and the tools that can help you to heal and thrive.
I'm your host Belinda and I'm honoured to be your companion on this empowering voyage of self-discovery and growth.
So let's deep dive into the heart of healing.
Today let's look at understanding our core beliefs and the quest for safety from womb to world.
From the moment of conception and sometimes before,
Our experiences begin to shape us.
The most profound influences on our psyche arise in the earliest stages of our lives when the neural pathways are so much more open than they are when we're older.
And yes,
Sometimes it's even as early as in the womb.
So let's look at how core beliefs,
Particularly the belief in an unsafe world or that the world is unsafe,
Can originate from early childhood experiences and how they drive our quest for safety throughout life.
In the womb we are inherently connected to our mother's experiences and emotions,
Her stress,
Her joy,
Her fear.
It's all shared by us and that's what lays the foundation of our perception of the world as we know it.
For instance,
If a mother experiences constant anxiety it may imprint on the developing child and this then sets this subconscious belief that the world is inherently unsafe.
And this initial imprinting is more than just genetic.
It's this deep emotional and psychological encoding.
The process of birth and early childhood experiences further solidifies our core beliefs.
Take the example of a baby struggling to breastfeed.
This struggle,
Though seemingly small,
Can instill this sense of insufficiency or a fear of trying new things.
This child's inability to fulfil a basic need,
Feeding,
Can unconsciously translate into a lifelong pattern of avoidance or a belief in their own inadequacy.
Another example is a child who experiences inconsistent care.
This child might develop an avoidant attachment style,
Perceiving the world as a place where needs aren't consistently met and therefore they develop this belief system that it's safer to not rely on others,
Right?
And these early experiences,
Although they're forgotten at a conscious level,
Leave this indelible mark on our psyche.
The subconscious mind plays a critical role in storing these early experiences and it acts as like this reservoir for these unprocessed emotions and beliefs.
And as we grow,
These core beliefs influence our behaviours,
Our decisions,
Our reactions,
Often without our conscious awareness.
And sometimes these beliefs and emotions can also come from intergenerational or past life things.
You're not even going to realise what they are,
Particularly if they're past life,
Because they're not part of your experience either.
So the child who lacks this feeling of safety or they felt unsafe while feeding might grow up with a hesitation to venture into new experiences or they might feel like they need to overcompensate by becoming overly independent,
Avoiding situations where they might feel vulnerable,
Because inherently their desire,
And it's the same desire for anyone in life,
Our innate desire is for safety,
Happiness and wholeness.
And that's what drives us.
But when it's filtered through these unconscious beliefs,
It can lead us down this path that are counterproductive.
For example,
The quest for safety might manifest as an excessive need for control in various aspects of life,
Right?
Whether it's from relationships or career choices or whatever it is.
The irony is that in this pursuit of safety,
One might end up creating more instability and more dissatisfaction.
The journey towards healing and wholeness involves recognising these deeply ingrained beliefs.
It's about understanding that the coping mechanisms developed in childhood,
Though once necessary for emotional survival,
May no longer serve us in adulthood.
The process involves unlearning these patterns and rewriting our core beliefs.
And it starts with the self-awareness.
Now this transformation can be facilitated through various methods,
Whether that's psychotherapy,
Particularly trauma-informed therapy,
Mindfulness or meditation practices,
Anything where you're helping to unearth and process these early imprints will help.
And it's helping you to develop that greater awareness of your automatic responses and beliefs.
Journaling and self-reflection are also powerful tools in that self-discovery and healing process.
And if someone around you has this playing out,
The way you could help someone with that anxiety or avoid an attachment style is to establish that safe,
Trusting environment for open communication and encourage them to express themselves without judgement.
Gently challenge their core beliefs and promote the self-reflection and introduce relaxation and mindfulness techniques to help manage the anxiety and encourage participation in social activities that are aligned with their interests.
Also consider the professional support and assist in the education about different attachment styles.
The self-compassion is also really,
Really important.
And modelling that healthy emotional regulation that emphasises the patience and the persistence through the process.
Because healing isn't linear and it takes a lot of courage and strength and patience and persistence.
Our early experiences,
Even those forgotten by our conscious mind,
Shape who we are.
But they don't have to define us permanently.
So by bringing these unconscious beliefs to light and understanding their origins,
We can reframe our perception of the world from one of fear and insufficiency to one of empowerment and abundance.
The world can be a safe place and with conscious effort,
We can rewrite our stories to reflect this truth.
Thank you for joining me on another soulful journey.
I hope today's episode has brought you insights and inspiration and a sense of connection.
If you'd like to continue exploring transformative stories and healing practices,
Be sure to subscribe,
Rate and review the podcast.
Remember your journey is uniquely yours and your resilience knows no bounds.
If you have a story that you'd like to share or a topic that you'd like me to explore,
Reach out to me.
Your voice matters and together we can create and nurture that rich and safe container for healing and hope.
Until next time,
May your journey be soulful,
Your heart be light and your healing profound.
This is Soulful Journeys,
Transforming trauma and healing lives.
