notes on freedom
A weekly email series containing easily digestible morsels of info on relational trauma and how to find freedom from it.
THIS WEEK IT’S A NOTE ON…hope and wanting
Trauma affects our beliefs. In traumatic moments we come to conclusions that rarely serve us. We make final sweeping conclusions about ourselves, other people and the world. These beliefs tend to start with:
I am…
Other people are…
The world is…
They’re final fundamental conclusions and they become our rulebook for living. I call these beliefs ‘traumatic beliefs’ because that’s exactly what they are. We come to fear-based conclusions. For example:
I’m a failure
Other people hate me
The world is unsafe
The phrase I used at the beginning is important. These traumatic beliefs become our rulebook for living. They narrow our vision, dictate our choices and guide our decisions. In one way or another, fear guides our life.
Every day we evidence gather to prove these beliefs are correct. Our hypervigilance ensures that we find ample reasons that the world is, indeed, unsafe, that other people do not love us and that we are failing.
Over time life can becomes coated in fear, repetitive and grey. We stop noticing the goodness, the possibilities and the colour.
In this context, hope and wanting seem laughable. But the body and the self want to heal, grow and expand. Hope is hardwired into us.
Can you give yourself permission to lean into hope? Can you give yourself permission to write down what you want this year?
Freedom from your old rulebook for living comes as you actively move out of fear-based repetition and give yourself permission to hope and want more.
If you’ve enjoyed this note on hope and wanting and want more, subscribe here.
PLEASE SHARE if you think someone you know will benefit from reading
Sarah Woodhouse is a trauma expert, research psychologist and writer who delivers people the knowledge and tools to recognise and overcome self-defeating cycles, to achieve personal freedom and success. Please follow her on Instagram, Facebook or X for all the latest updates.
