The voice that tried to steal my perfect day (and how I didn't let it)
Tune in for the audio version—plus some unscripted Laura riffs that didn't make it to the newsletter!
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Recently I had one of those days that felt like magic.
I woke up naturally, no alarm. Had the most present morning with my boys—actually playing instead of rushing them out the door. Got amazing work done that felt more like flow than force. Even squeezed in an hour-long run that left me feeling alive and grateful.
I was literally vibrating with joy.
And then it happened.
That voice. The one that's been lurking in my family line for generations.
"Well, have you really earned your worth today, Laura? Have you REALLY earned it?"
It came on so viciously, so suddenly. This sneaky program that just wanted to take me down, wanted to tell me I hadn't earned the right to feel this good.
Have you met this voice? The one that shows up right when life feels too good to be true?
The Inherited Weight We Carry
Here's what I'm learning about these moments: they're not actually about us.
This particular program—the one that questions whether I've "earned" joy—doesn't even belong to me. It's generational. It's been passed down like an heirloom nobody wanted but everyone kept carrying.
My dad carried it. His dad probably carried it. And for decades, I carried it too.
The belief that joy must be earned. That feeling good requires justification. That if you're not struggling, you're not working hard enough.
But that day, something was different.
Instead of letting that voice take me down the familiar spiral of guilt and self-doubt, I caught it. I saw it for what it was: old programming trying to run a new life.
And I said no.
The Shift
"I deserve to feel this good all the time," I told myself. "And the program wants me to feel guilty for feeling so good, but that just doesn't get to win out anymore."
I get to feel good. And I get to feel good about feeling good.
(try saying that aloud to yourself a few times)
It sounds simple, but this was revolutionary for me.
Because how many of us have been taught that constant struggle equals virtue? That if we're not hustling, we're not worthy? That joy is something we earn through suffering?
What Your Inner Critic Is Really Telling You
When that voice shows up, you know, the one questioning whether you've "done enough" to deserve peace, success, or simple happiness—it's not your truth talking.
It's generational programming. Old beliefs that served someone, somewhere, at some time, but don't serve you now.
Can you see this differently this time?
The critic isn't protecting you. It's protecting an outdated story about what it means to be worthy.
Here's what I want you to know: You don't have to earn your right to feel good.
You don't have to justify joy. You don't have to prove you deserve peace. You don't have to hustle your way to worthiness.
You already are worthy. Right now. As you are.
Breaking the Pattern
So what do you do when that voice shows up? When the program starts running?
First, recognize it. Name it. "This is the old program starting up again."
Second, remember it's not yours. This voice has been passed down. You don't have to keep carrying it.
Third, choose differently. You have the power to say, "That doesn't get to win anymore."
Fourth, practice the new thought. "I deserve to feel this good. I get to feel good about feeling good."
It takes practice. These programs run deep. But every time you catch yourself in the old pattern and choose something different, you're not just healing yourself, you're healing the line.
The Ripple Effect
When I chose joy over guilt that day, I wasn't just choosing for me. I was choosing for my boys, who are watching how I relate to happiness and success.
I was choosing for the clients I serve, who need to see that it's possible to thrive without the constant weight of "earning it."
I was choosing for you, reading this right now, who might be carrying your own version of this program.
Your Turn
What program tries to steal your joy? What voice questions whether you've "earned" the right to feel good about your life?
Maybe it's the voice that says you haven't worked hard enough. Or that you don't deserve success. Or that other people are more qualified, more worthy, more deserving.
Whatever it is, I want you to know: that voice is not your truth.
You get to feel good. You get to thrive. You get to experience joy without justification.
Not eventually. Not when you've suffered enough or achieved enough or proved enough.
Now.
Here's to breaking the programs that no longer serve us and choosing the joy that's been waiting for us all along.
What would change in your life if you truly believed you deserve to feel good all the time?
The answer might just be everything.
With love and belief in your magnificence,
Laura
P.S. If this resonated, you're not alone. So many of us are working to break these inherited patterns. It's some of the most important work we can do for ourselves and for the generations that come after us.