Olympia Discussion: Family Patterns That Still Run the Show

Welcome to this week’s women’s circle! Tonight, we’ll focus on connection and self-discovery. We’ll begin with a fun icebreaker to set the tone and get to know one another better. From there, we’ll explore the evening’s topic, 'Family Patterns That Still Run the Show: Family Ties & Emotional Baggage Fees,' through open discussion, sharing our thoughts, and reflecting on personal experiences. This gathering is a space to connect, grow, and be inspired by one another’s journeys. We’ll close with a moment to set intentions, leaving with fresh perspectives and a sense of support. Let’s dive in and make this time meaningful together!

Below is the "Mindful Musing" for the week which includes our Main Topic and some questions for us to explore together!

Family: the original blueprint. The first classroom. The first love story. The first heartbreak. Even if you’ve left the house, changed your number, or built an entirely different life—you may still be living out dynamics that were scripted for you decades ago. That fear of abandonment? That need to earn love? That silent resentment you carry but don’t speak? These often aren’t just your issues—they’re inherited.

You might catch yourself reacting like your mom in conflict. Or playing peacemaker like you did when your parents argued. You might realize that your fear of being a burden didn’t start with your last relationship—it started at the dinner table. And it’s not about blame—it’s about awareness. Because if you don’t name the patterns, you can’t change the script.

This session is about unpacking your emotional luggage. Not to shame where you came from—but to stop paying baggage fees in relationships you’re trying to build now.

You’re allowed to outgrow the story you were handed. You’re allowed to set it down. And you’re allowed to become the author of what happens next.

### Discussion Questions

1. What unspoken rules did your family live by—and are you still following them?
2. How did your caregivers express (or suppress) emotions, and how has that shaped you?
3. What roles did you play in your family dynamic (the fixer, the achiever, the invisible one)?
4. What’s one trigger in your adult life that makes more sense when you trace it back to childhood?
5. How do you respond to conflict—and who did you learn that from?
6. What belief about love, safety, or worth did you inherit that no longer serves you?
7. What emotional needs went unmet in your family—and how have you tried to meet them in relationships?
8. Where have you made peace with your past—and where are you still carrying resentment or grief?
9. What’s one family pattern you are committed to breaking?
10. What kind of legacy are you choosing to create now—in your relationships, your values, your truth?