Recognize and Let Go of the Baggage of Growing up Wealthy

So much of who we are is because of our past. Every experience, person we've encountered, or hardship we've gone through has shaped us into who we are.  Knowing this, how can we accept the parts of our past that hold us down? How can we move on and let go of the baggage we carry with us?

It can be hard to recognize the baggage in your life when to the outside world, you have it all. To an outsider, you have the ability to get whatever you want. Those who don't understand life when you have wealth believe you shouldn't even have any issues. According to them, life should be perfect when you have money.

Finding the strength to recognize and let go of heavy baggage is possible. Here's why.

You Don't Have to Remain Chained to Your Defenses

Growing up in an affluent family, you likely learned from an early age how to put walls up around your soul. You probably learned coping behaviors such as shutting down or isolating yourself in order to deal with the stress that your unique position in life brought to you. Your stress may be attributed to the expectations set by your family, not knowing who you are, or strained relationships within your family.

As your coping mechanisms turned into lifelong habits, you may feel set in your ways. Or maybe you picked up how to cope with stress from a family member, and that's just how it has to be, right? Not really. Just because the past has dictated who you are does not mean you need to remain chained down by it.

But the older you get, it can feel impossible to change how you deal with the baggage from your life. It is hard to not settle with the mindset of, "This is how it's always been, so there's no point in changing it now." No matter what age you are, or how long you have carried the baggage for, there is always time to change. You do have the power to break your own walls down, heal relationships, and move on from your past.

Letting go of Baggage Can Give You Freedom

You already have financial freedom, but do you have the freedom that comes with a peaceful mind and soul? Our past failures, family issues, and legacy expectations can weigh heavily on a person. While you may have tried hard not to let the past get to you, it has probably affected you in more ways than one. And trying to move on from that? Well, that can feel impossible.

In life, everyone makes mistakes. No matter who you are, that's a fact of life because no one is perfect. But in your family, perfection can feel like everything, leaving little room for anything less.  In normal situations, it's easy to move past our mistakes and accept them over time—but with the weight of family expectations, our mistakes can feel even heavier. It can be hard to forgive ourselves for our own failures when it feels as if our family cannot.

It doesn't have to be this way. Yes, your past defines you, but it does not define who you are. Letting go of emotional baggage does not mean that you are forgiving what happened to you or that it somehow invalidates the experience. Instead, letting go means that you are giving yourself the grace to accept that it happened. You are giving yourself the chance to heal from what weighs you down.

When you finally start to let go of the chains that are weighing you down, you will find a greater sense of purpose to really understand who you are outside of your past.

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If you need help finding your identity outside of your financial worth, you are not alone. Financial therapy can help you let go of the baggage to begin living the life you truly want for yourself.