A lot of people have the idea that the past has passed and has no effect on what we do day-to-day. Though it is very true that we cannot change the past, the past can be very helpful for helping us understand our behavior in the present. In all my work with clients over the years, we can often trace current triggers such as issues with bosses, issues with peers, or self-esteem concerns back to the way a client was raised. Our inner voices are developed as repetitive tracks of the things we’ve heard as kids. Often, in working through these issues, we have to trace a path back to the origin in order to forge a new path forward, consciously reprogramming those same voices so that they are helpful instead of harmful. If you find yourself puzzled by behaviors that don’t make sense in your current paradigm, self sabotaging behavior, or critical self talk, I encourage you to take a look at your childhood experience to see what you can learn about what influenced your development in order to unravel and surface some unconscious thoughts and reprogram your mind to better serve your current reality. One of the best phrases I’ve ever heard is, “if it’s hysterical, it’s historical.” If you find yourself reacting strongly to something in your current state that seems like it should be quite small, check your past – you might be reacting to something from long ago right now. Your childhood experience matters. Use it.