What was the biggest pill you've had to swallow about your own self or habits?
I'll go first...after 10 years of speculating in the market (read: gambling in high risk assets) I realized I shouldn't ever touch a brokerage account in my lifetime. A monkey would have made better choices than I did. Greed has altered the course of life many times over. I am at an age where I may recover from my actions over the decades, but it has taken its toll. I am frugal and have a good head on me, but having such impulsivity in financial instruments was not how I envisioned my adulthood. Its a bitter pill to swallow, since money is livelihood of my family, but I need to "invest" all I have into relationships, meaningful moments, and fulfilling hobbies.
I've started noticing that I'm echoing some of the bad habits of my father, either behaviorally or genetically, I'm not sure which. I'm determined to never go down that path because I've seen what it's done to our family. I've made some changes that will hopefully head that off. If those don't help, there's always professional help.
I feel you. I have to keep reminding myself that a lot of my anxiety isn't mine - it's my mom's. I just inherited the behaviors that she picked up, that in turn were created in reaction to my (long-gone) toxic grandfather's abuse.
Generational trauma probably lurks behind all of us, deeprooted and insidious, propping up maladaptive behaviors that go unexamined simply because they are considered "normal" in our families.
Similar boat. It helps to have someone who is willing to (kindly and patiently) call you out on it, with the understanding that it's what you want them to do. Good luck, stay strong and be confident that acknowledging the issue and wanting to change are huge steps you've already taken