Sojourn: On inherited beliefs, misplaced fear, and the past that shaped you

Sojourn is a Sunday letter for those reinventing with intention—a practical companion to help you pause, reset, and reshape the way you live and work from the inside out. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here to receive the next one directly.


Hello, Sojourners.
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This week: 1 reflection, 1 idea, and 1 prompt to meet the moment.

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1 Quiet Reflection

On inherited beliefs

Lately I’ve been noticing how many of my default decisions still come from a version of myself I’ve already outgrown.

What I say yes to. What I avoid. What I call “productive.” Even what I consider a “good” day. Most of it wasn’t chosen. It was inherited. A silent curriculum I learned early: be agreeable, be useful, be low maintenance. And for a long time, those rules worked. They kept things stable. They helped me feel that I 'belong'.

But now? They quietly contradict everything I’m trying to become.

Reinvention isn’t just about starting something new. It’s about asking: what am I still following that I never actually chose?

1 Idea to Anchor You

“Fear doesn’t always mean stop. Sometimes it means pay attention.”
Source: Tara Mohr

When you’re moving toward something meaningful, fear almost always shows up. Not because you’re wrong — but because you’re getting closer.

The nervous system doesn’t know the difference between fear that protects you and fear that ‘stretches’ you. That’s your work: to pause long enough to tell them apart. To pay attention.

If it matters, it will probably feel uncomfortable. Take that as a good sign.

1 Prompt to Meet the Moment

What are you still carrying from your past that no longer fits who you’re becoming?
(And what belief might you be ready to return?)

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Until next Sunday,
Ana

Come back to what you already know—and begin again.

Before you go : my summer soul