Family

Most of us have two families to consider – that’s the one you have come from and the one that you have created round about you now. Essentially you could say it’s the one that you inherit and the one you create.

Both have different demands on who you are, your time and your energy.

Our birth family knows us as we were, what we are by instinct and by nature because of the shared circumstances of our upbringing. This is part of our blueprint. But as we mature and grow and experience life we choose whether we follow a similar path or whether we develop a new way of being.

This can inevitably create conflict between the family you come from and the one you have now made your own as you do things differently.

Managing both families’ expectations is a task in itself and one we can struggle with.

Thinking about your own family unit can be challenging especially if you are working and have a lot to juggle. How do you continue to be a successful person at work if your home life is chaotic? The pressure to be both a good parent and co-worker is intense. And does that even leave any time for you? Are your needs always at the end of the queue?

Where do your loyalties lie – work, family, or supporting yourself? Is this just too much of a juggle that creates a whole lot of internal conflict and disharmony?

By nature we like to feel a sense of belonging. Historically that would have been to a tribe or, in Scotland, to a clan. Sure, there might have been some disputes but a tribe – or family – would also have looked after its own as well.