SERIOUSLY SPEAKING - BREAK OUT?

Family myths can be tremendously controlling and have an amazing capacity to resist change.

Why do these 'stories' have so much power?

We tend to be pack/group animals and use these family narratives to create solidarity within our group.  The group gains strength to the extent that all members buy into the rules.

When someone breaks the rules, they usually get labeled as an outsider.  We perceive them as a distortion, which is part of the way the group explains the 'defection'.

DANCE WITH IT!   EXPERIENTIAL APPS                           

An opportunity to experiment with some fun ideas…

Think about your own birth family…

What were their rules or belief systems?  

These are the defining characteristics that your family operated under - the ways they felt different from other families - usually defined as better!

Did you or any other member ever step away from these mandates?

How were you treated?

Remember, these rules have such staying power that we are often unconsciously operating under them even years after the actual group is gone!