How Do You Break The Top 3 Rules Of Family Shame?
• Give Up Perfectionism. Whether it was your father pushing you to score every touchdown or a smothering mother pushing you to get straight A’s in everything so you could become a doctor, you had to the “perfect” child. No room for error. Having these kinds of unrealistic expectations placed upon you damaged your sense of self-worth and gave you a sense of unworthiness. Breaking this rule will actually be fun. All you have to do is screw up and learn to feel ok about it. Don’t comb every hair perfectly in place. Flub something every once in awhile (ideally, something that won’t endanger anyone else). Leave a few “I’s” undotted and a few “T’s” uncrossed. The world won’t end because you let your hair down, and you’ll feel better for it. • Break the “Don’t Feel” Rule. Your family may have operated as if only certain feelings were ok. For instance, it was never ok to feel depressed or angry. Boys weren’t allowed to cry and girls had to smile all the time. If you’re going to live a happy an
