Facing the past to liberate the present | Angela Findlay | TEDxStroud

‘FACING THE PAST TO CREATE A FAIRER FUTURE

Is the past really over, done, past?

Both psychology and science are increasingly revealing mechanisms by which the unresolved issues from one generation can be passed to the next.

In my TEDx talk, I will show you how this process impacted me and my life and the steps I took to free myself of a legacy of trauma and shame that weren’t my own.

Since working through my German heritage, I have become passionate about re-examining our preferred versions of history to include the forgotten, darker truths. For the crimes and/or suffering of our predecessors do not simply go away but remain potent disruptors, subconsciously shaping current attitudes, policies and behaviour as they seek resolution. Bringing wounds that lie trapped in darkness into the light of awareness is to start the process of healing them.

Nobody is fully spared the impact of unresolved harm. The steps I took are steps we all can take towards shedding unconscious burdens and drivers and becoming freer to create kinder and more sustainable societies… for us and for future generations.’