We're often told, "You can be whatever you want to be."
And while that statement is true, it raises an important question:
Why do so many people never go after what they truly want?
When we begin to explore this through the lens of trauma, the answer becomes much clearer.
From a mental and emotional standpoint, most people already have the ability and capacity to build the life they desire. What holds them back isn't a lack of talent or ambition-it's the circumstances they were shaped by.
For many of us, the environment we grew up in did not nurture our dreams. Some of us didn't have people around us who truly believed in what we wanted to become.
Instead, we were told to "be realistic," to "get a job," to always have a Plan B-just in case it didn't work out.
Hearing that repeatedly, especially as a child, creates trauma.
Even when it's subtle, the message is clear:
Maybe you won't make it.
Over time, that belief settles into the mind and quietly erodes self-trust. It becomes harder to believe in yourself when the people closest to you never fully did.
So no-becoming whatever you want to be is not equally accessible for everyone.
I've always known I wanted to run my own company. But growing up, I was consistently encouraged to choose safety over purpose.
Focus on working. Get your generals first.
Have something to fall back on. That undertone of doubt shaped my reality-and I know I wan't alone in that experience.
When belief is absent at home, it impacts mental stability. It affects confidence. It affects risk-taking. It affects how we show up in the world.
It's no wonder so many people feel stuck in jobs they hate, operating in constant survival mode instead of stepping into the lives they actually want. When the people who love you don't believe in you, how are you supposed to grow up believing in yourself?
This isn't a coincidence. In America alone, millions of people are not where they want to be in life-not because they're incapable, but because trauma and fear surround doing what they actually want to do.
And that trauma doesn't just disappear.
If it goes unaddressed, it follows us into adulthood, into our careers, into our finances, and into our relationships. The issue isn't that people don't want to talk about it-it's that many don't have access to spaces where these conversations are welcomed.
Most mental health professionals aren't trained to connect emotional trauma with financial or professional outcomes. Most employers don't realize how depressed, burned out, or unfulfilled their workers truly are.
So it's no surprise that many people feel disconnected from their financial health. They struggle to grow in their profession or start the business they've always dreamed of.
At Dove Financial, we define financial trauma as more than just being broke.
Financial trauma is being mentally and emotionally broken in ways that block growth and development. It's trauma that seeps into every area of life-shaping emotions, constricting beliefs, and influencing behaviors around success, happiness, and self-worth.
You see it every day on social media. People are encouraged to become entrepreneurs, creators, and builders-yet many struggle to even start. It's not because content creation or entrepreneurship is only for a select few.
It's because many people carry deep trauma around visibility, failure, and believing in themselves.
Everyone has something to offer the world.
But healing must come before harsh judgment. Pressure without compassion only deepens the wounds people already carry.
That's what Dove Financial is about.
We address the trauma.
We create space for healing.
We help people gain clarity-financially,
mentally, and emotionally.
So they can finally become who they were always meant to be.
That's the Dove way.
You don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
If any part of this resonated with you, know this: there is nothing wrong with you. The hesitation, the fear, the uncertainty-these are often signs of experiences that deserve understanding, not judgment.
At Dove Financial, we create space to talk about the things most people never address-how trauma impacts our money, our careers, and our ability to believe in ourselves.
If you're ready for support, our Clarity Sessions offer a one-on-one space to unpack your financial story, reconnect with your goals, and begin moving forward at a pace that feels safe and sustainable.
And if you prefer to start privately, our Ebook was created as a guided reflection-helping you understand your relationship with money, identity, and purpose while laying the foundation for healing and clarity.
There's no rush. No pressure. Just a path forward when healing and clarity.
That's the Dove way.