Most people who are in the process of excavating the reasons they do what they do are met at some point with resistance. Youre blaming the past. Your past is not an excuse. This is true. Your past is not an excuse. But it is an explanationoffering insight into the questions so many of us ask ourselves: Why do I behave the way I behave? Why do I feel the way I do? For me, there is no doubt that our strengths, vulnerabilities, and unique responses are an expression of what happened to us. Very often, what happened takes years to reveal itself. It takes courage to confront our actions, peel back the layers of trauma in our lives, and expose the raw truth of our past. But this is where healing begins. Oprah Winfrey, What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

What Happened To You? by Bruce D. Perry