Monday Muse: Seven Inspirations for the Week
Inherited Trauma, Self Acceptance and Self Care, Doing Thing Differently and Choosing Success
1/ The book I’ve been reading this week:
This is definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read. You know when you read something that just makes perfect sense, that just makes you say, ha so that’s why?!
It Didn't Start with You by Mark Wolynn dives deep into the idea that the emotional and psychological struggles we face today are often inherited from past generations.
The core of his message is that trauma can be passed down through family lines, whether it’s anxiety, depression, or relationship difficulties, and these issues can sometimes stem from unresolved experiences of our parents, grandparents, or even further back.
Wolynn introduces the concept of inherited family trauma, backed by emerging research in epigenetics, which shows that trauma can alter our DNA, affecting not only our emotional wellbeing but also our physical health.
The beauty of this book lies in its practical approach, he doesn’t just leave us with the weight of inherited pain but offers a path to healing. Through his Core Language Approach, he helps readers identify recurring emotional patterns, face the root of those traumas, and ultimately break free from cycles that don’t serve us.
It made total sense to me when I thought about things my grandparents faced and probably to a small extent my parents. All of my grandparents and great grandparents were affected by the two World Wars. I don’t know much about my great grandparents but I do know a lot about how it was for my grandparents.
Imagine coming back from the horrors of war and having to assume a normal life, burying and hiding all that trauma. No wonder my generation, especially in the UK and Europe, struggles so much with mental health issues and so much more.
What I found most compelling is how it validates the struggles many of us face. We often carry things we can’t fully explain or pinpoint, and It Didn't Start with You reminds us that not all of our emotional burdens are solely ours to bear.
By understanding these generational connections, we become more compassionate with ourselves, healing not just our own wounds but also those of generations past.
It’s a powerful read for anyone wanting to understand themselves and their family story on a deeper level.
2/ What I’m grateful for this week:
I’m grateful that this week after a very busy summer I feel as if I’m finally back in my routine.
A lot has happened in the past 4 months, good and not so good, and sometimes it’s felt like I’m never getting done what I plan to.
Some great things have happened and been accomplished. I went to see my daughter in Florida, I’ve had a lot of work done on the house, kitchen, hallway, central heating and so many smaller jobs. My sister and family came to visit. Lots of socialising with friends and enjoying summer life in France.
But now things are quietening down in all areas, so I’ve been able to get back to my morning routine.
Writing my journal while I drink my tea, 20-30 minutes of my French lesson, meditation and yoga practice and my study time.
It’s felt so good to get back to it each day. I suppose it’s my self care routine. I’ve realised that if I do this each day, I’m taking care of my health in every way. Mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
It’s the analogy of the oxygen mask or pouring from an empty cup. If I take care of me, I have more to give to others, whether it’s in my writing, being there for my friends and family or being a good neighbour.
I’m also very grateful for the beautiful nature that surrounds me where I live.
3/ My favourite quote this week:
“If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.”
Henry Ford
I love this quote because it makes things very simple. If I’m not happy with the results I’m getting in a particular area of my life, I need to do things differently.
This isn’t always easy. My comfort zone is a very cosy easy place to be.
I’ve changed a lot these last two years. Some of the change has not been easy, but the fact is that change is a part of life. As much as we may not want it to, life changes whether we want it or not.
I loved being a stay at home mum to my two daughters and treasured the time when they were little. But there was nothing I could do to keep that from changing. Children grow, they change and I had to change my role as a mother too. I went from being their carer and provider to, now, being a support and a friend.
I wanted more peace in my life, so I started a regular meditation practice. I wanted to be fitter and healthier, so I started practising yoga each day. I wanted to speak better French, so I committed to doing a lesson each morning.
I wanted to find out who I was and what I wanted after my marriage ended, so I embarked on a study of me. I study each morning.
All these things take commitment and effort, but I am gradually changing my life and making it the way I want it to be. I am becoming who I want to be.
It hasn’t been easy, but for me to see different results, I had to, and have to continue to, put in the effort.
All this takes honesty and means I must always take complete responsibility for my life. No blaming the economy, my childhood, my parents, my ex husband. It’s all on me. And that’s how I’ve gone from dreading each day and being terrified of the future to living a peaceful and fulfilling life filled with purpose. A life that I’ve created and am still creating.
4/ My healthy tip of the week:
As much as we eat healthily I do believe that we still need extra. The soil isn’t as rich as it once was and the overuse of pesticides affects what is grown. I use vitamin supplements and other extras to keep healthy and strong, especially in the winter months.
These are a few of my favourite supplements that are so very easy to incorporate into your diet.
Hemp seeds. If you only choose one extra this would be my recommendation. They are so very rich in protein, fibre, and healthful fatty acids, including omega-3s and omega-6s. It’s important to get the split ones though, not the whole seeds as our bodies can’t break down the shell very easily. You can add them to smoothies, salads, soups, cereal, and whatever else you can think of.
Moringa powder. This has a high level of antioxidants and very specific molecules that help reduce inflammation. Again it’s easy to add it to smoothies or soup after cooking.
Mushroom powders. I use Reishi, Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps. Again good for inflammation, energy, immune support, brain function and reducing anxiety. When it’s too cold for a smoothie I often make a hot chocolate with cacao or ready made chocolate almond milk and whizz it up with a teaspoon or two of mushroom powders.
Ashwaghanda powder. I put this in so many things! Smoothies, soups, bread, hot chocolate. It’s the most wonderful adaptogen. It helps the body resist mental and physical stress. It’s believed to calm the brain and lower blood pressure.
One thing I will say about supplements, is be careful where you buy them from. There is no point getting cheaper supplements to enhance your health and energy, if they come from a place with little regulation when it comes to quality and use of pesticides.
5/ This is what I’ve been studying this week:
I’ve learned the value of repetion this week. (Again!) I’ve been studying something that I have looked at previously. First about a year ago, then a couple of times since then.
But there is something quite amazing that happens when you keep studying the same thing over and over, you start to understand it at a deeper level.
That’s what happened to me this week.
I’ve been studying an article called, “The Common Denominator of Success”. Albert E N Gray did a study many years ago on the lives of successful people to find out what they did differently that led to their success.
It was quite simple, ‘They formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do’.
Habits form futures.
By doing the things they don’t like to do, they can accomplish the things they want to accomplish. He found that successful people are influenced by the desire for pleasing results. Failures are influenced by the desire for pleasing methods. Can you see the difference?
The difference is that successful people have a purpose. It’s strong enough to make them do things they don’t like to do in order to accomplish their purpose.
The strength that holds you to your purpose is not your own strength but the strength of the purpose itself.
If we make decisions with our purpose in mind, we will form habits linked to that purpose that get us closer to our goal. By keeping our goal and our purpose at the forefront of our mind, we will do anything we need to do to get us there.
Our future depends on our purpose in life!
6/ This is what I’ve been listening to on repeat:
I’ve been listening to this most days this week while practicing my yoga and I’ve found it really helps me to focus. It may not be for everyone, but I find it very soothing and grounding.
7/ My favourite meditation this week:
I’ve made this meditation especially for today’s Monday Muse. Each week I use my intuition to guide me as to what everyone needs to read and listen to and this week it came to me that I should create a meditation about Self Acceptance.
Self acceptance is the foundation of emotional wellbeing, and this meditation is so important because it helps us develop a deeper, more compassionate relationship with ourselves.
This meditation is a powerful reminder that self acceptance is the key to emotional freedom and inner peace, helping us navigate life with more grace, confidence, and compassion for ourselves and others.
This meditation will be on my podcast tomorrow.
You can also find my meditations on Insight Timer!
What did you think of this week’s Monday Muse?! I hope you’ve found something here that is inspiring to you.
I only share what has helped me and what I find inspiring, so please let me know in the comments whether it has helped you too and which of the 7 you liked most.
See you next week!
Love Georgia xx
I love sharing with you what has helped me!
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Wow...lots to digest here...good stuff to inspire and motivate...I'll be looking for more...thanks