This morning, an old story tried to sneak back in.
Not just as a thought — as a feeling.
It sat heavy in my chest, telling me to play small.
I was about to post a Frank Sinatra quote about fear when a little voice whispered:
“Don’t do that. If you’re too big, too bold, something bad could happen.”
I knew that voice. I grew up with it.
The Inherited Fear Script
My mom explained the world through cautionary tales.
I couldn’t get braces for my buck teeth because a friend’s daughter finally had hers removed… and on the way home, they had a car accident that knocked them all out.
I couldn’t ride the Scrambler at the fair because a boy from her childhood died when his seat broke during the ride.
To her, these were reasons.
To me, they became rules.
Rules that quietly whispered:
“Don’t reach too high. Don’t shine too bright. Bad follows good.”
How the Story Reinforced Itself
As a kid, I believed them.
As an adult, I didn’t question them — but I did notice “evidence.”
If I did something really good and something bad happened later that day, my mind connected the two.
It didn’t matter that bad things happened on all kinds of days — this particular sequence felt “proof enough.” And every time it happened, the belief got stronger.
That’s how these stories work. They’re sticky.
They disguise themselves as truth.
The Moment That Changed It
Today, I caught it.
I put my phone down.
I took a breath.
And I chose a different thought — one that believed in me instead of warning me.
I can still feel the old fear. But I love the new belief more.
Why This Matters for All of Us
We all carry these inherited fear scripts.
They usually come from people who meant to protect us — but the protection was rooted in fear, not reality.
The power comes from recognizing the moment the script starts to run, and asking:
Is this my belief or someone else’s?
Does this protect me or just keep me small?
What could I choose instead?
Your Turn
Think about the last time you hesitated — that gut-level “Don’t do it, something bad might happen” voice.
What if, just for today, you didn’t hand it the microphone?
What if you chose the belief that loved you more than it feared for you?
