Waking up from toxic systems and the side effects they create demands courage. Upon reflection, you’ll spot the misaligned messages—ideas that never fit, gnawing at your gut yet somehow seduce you into obedience.
As a child, I trembled at the thought of my brother being drafted into war, picturing his desperate flight to Canada, hitchhiking in disguise to avoid the draft. The terror of conflict consumed me, its senseless carnage etching itself into my soul.
Decades later, my godson toyed with enlisting. I pleaded with him to reconsider, but at his boot camp graduation, I stood frozen, watching young, ebullient recruits chant of killing and conquest. Horror gripped me.
I understand this is the purpose of boot camp training: to indoctrinate human beings into an unnatural state of being, of allegiance and obedience.
It’s similar in our family ancestral line, our schooling (vs. education), our religious systems, and our social structures…
What if we trained these beautiful young recruits for peace instead…
And what if peace is our innate impulse…
I refuse to believe humans are born for war and rather envision that war is becoming obsolete. I suspect a darker force has conditioned us across millennia, twisting our nature. What if we broke free from this programming in every system that has touched our lives? What if we tuned into our hearts and unlocked our true potential through the quiet power of discernment?
This has been my journey in recognizing my toxic systems of influence and CPTSD triggers – going within and rewiring my inner systems.
Please consider pausing to reflect: Where did toxicity take root in your life? School? Family? Work? Religion?
Trace the moments when obedience to something wrong bent your path. Then, turn inward, claim your authentic choices, and stand tall.
Your discernment is your power, your sovereignty, and your strength.
Living true to yourself liberates you and ultimately can light the way for others to break free, too.
Susan Gold guides her clients to break free from toxic systems, empowering them to live authentically from the heart and embrace their innate intuitive abilities. Visit her website, https://www.susangold.us/, and YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/@susangoldismagical, for free resources, including her inspiring new podcast, Gold Conversations. Tune in as guests reveal their transformative journeys—awakening from toxicity to thriving in alignment with their true selves.
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Contributor Susan Gold is an author and transformationalist. After growing up in a toxic family system, she now helps others through similar trauma, leading with heart and love. Her YouTube video posts are at: https://www.youtube.com/@susangoldismagical
