Parental Traits - Honour or Reject?

We may honour traits from our parents, and at the same time reject others and become our own person.
I recently came across an article about traits we inherit from our parents that I thought was interesting. We may honour some traits from our parents, while rejecting others and becoming our own person.  
It peeked my interest, as someone said to me recently that their addiction came from a parent, and therefore it was their fate.  Personally I believe that yes, we may look like a parent, we may have the same sensitivities they display, and perhaps we even have a few of the same behaviours.  However, this does not mean we will automatically follow the same pathway in life.  It is totally possible to honour some of those traits, but also to reject others.  
Unconsciously we may follow their mannerisms or habits, but through conscious self-examination, we may identify traits that we can work past if we choose to.  
We can certainly honour and emulate those aspects of our parents that we admire without becoming carbon copies.   For example, I try to honour respecting other people’s differences as I was taught by my parents.  I also try and give back as I constantly saw my Mom do.  You can learn from the decisions that they made and choose not in indulge in the same vices. We are free to follow our own pathways.
Our parents influence will continue to shape our lives - wether or not you follow in their footsteps.
It is my hope that my children will see the actions I took to become free of smoking (8 years ago) and alcohol (5 years ago), and apply those examples to their own lives.  I hope that I have demonstrated setting a goal, and following through for my own more joyful life.

As you forge your path, bear in mind that YOU CAN DO IT !

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