For many years, until fairly recently, I believed in certain superstitions I grew up around. Even when a part of me questioned them, a bigger part of me followed them without protesting. Life already felt hard enough, and I didn’t want to risk making it harder. In hindsight, I can see that this wasn’t intuition guiding me, it was fear. It was my trauma speaking, not my truth. As I’ve done more inner work, I’ve noticed something interesting: healing doesn’t just change how we respond to stress or relationships, it also changes what we unquestioningly accept as “normal.” Beliefs that once felt comforting or protective can start to feel restrictive, outdated, or simply unnecessary. This week’s reflection is about a few superstitions I grew up with, how I’ve slowly let go of some of them, and what they’ve taught me about fear, safety, and growth.
This isn’t about proving superstitions right or wrong. Many of them are cultural, passed down through generations with love, concern, and a desire to protect. Across countries and communities, the same superstition can be interpreted completely differently. At the core, they all point to the same thing: our very human need to feel safe, protected, and in control of outcomes we can’t predict.
But sometimes, without realizing it, these beliefs quietly keep us focused on outcomes instead of experiences, fear instead of curiosity, and limitation instead of possibility. And healing, at least for me, has been about noticing where I’m still shrinking myself in the name of safety.
Superstition 1: No cutting nails after sunset
This one was built into my routine for decades. I was always instructed to cut my nails before sunset. The reasoning was clear and unquestioned: if you cut your nails after dark, Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, would never enter your home. If you wanted abundance, grooming had to happen before the sun went down.
I followed this without much thought for years on end. Then, somewhere along the way, something shifted. A very practical thought crossed my mind: some of the wealthiest people in the world, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and countless others, surely weren’t timing their nail trimming around sunset. And yet, abundance didn’t seem to be avoiding them.
That realization was oddly freeing. I began cutting my nails whenever I had the time and mental space to do it. Nothing terrible happened. No divine punishment. No sudden lack. What did happen was a small but meaningful reclaiming of choice. I stopped arranging my life around an old wives’ tale that no longer resonated with me.
Healing often looks like this: questioning what once made sense and realizing it doesn’t anymore. There’s no rebellion or disrespect in it. Just curiosity. And sometimes, gentle experimentation.
Superstition 2: Don’t laugh too hard or you’ll cry later
This belief shaped my relationship with joy more than I realized. Whenever I laughed deeply or felt truly happy, a voice in my head would whisper, You’re going to pay for this tomorrow. I accepted the idea that happiness was always followed by disappointment but never paused to consider that disappointment is often followed by happiness, too.
It was such a heavy way to move through life where joy needed to be rationed, diluted, or braced for. But life isn’t linear, and it certainly isn’t transactional in that way. It’s more like a buffet: unpredictable, varied, sometimes overwhelming, and sometimes delightful.
So, I made a conscious choice to laugh fully when the moment invited it; to enjoy what was good without immediately scanning the horizon for what might go wrong. I stopped robbing myself of present moment joy out of fear of a hypothetical future sadness.
Healing, I’ve learned, invites us back into the moment. It helps us soften our grip on what hasn’t happened yet and cultivate awareness and gratitude for what is.
Superstition 3: A black cat crossing your path is bad luck
This one lingered for a while. When I was younger, if a black cat crossed my path, I’d change direction or pause, anything to avoid tempting fate. And yet, the animal lover in me always admired the cat’s beauty from a distance.
As I did more healing work, something clicked. I deeply care about animals, especially dogs, and that tenderness is a part of me I cherish. Fear around cats, especially based on color, no longer aligned with who I was becoming; therefore, I made the decision to stop avoiding them. On the contrary, I even started trying to get their attention.
I haven’t mastered the art of winning over cats just yet. My friend insists the key is to ignore them, which I clearly struggle with. But that’s beside the point. When you begin healing, you start accepting and nurturing the parts of yourself that feel authentic and life-giving. You stop silencing joy just because it doesn’t fit into old fear-based rules.
Superstition 4: Breaking glass is lucky
I’m a work in progress, and not all superstitions have loosened their grip. This is one I still half-believe.
In some cultures, glass is intentionally broken for good luck. Where I come from, this superstition is about accidentally breaking glass. It’s usually followed by guilt or panic, but also reassurance: It’s okay, it brings luck.
When a glass shatters, my first thought is frustration at the mess. My second thought is usually that my mother is going to be furious. Somewhere in between, the superstition swoops in to soothe me. It helps me calm down, minimize the mistake, and move forward.
Looking at it more honestly, I see what it’s really doing. It’s a coping mechanism. A way to escape discomfort instead of sitting with it. A reminder that mistakes, big and small, are part of being human. And maybe that’s okay. Sometimes we need soft landings before we’re ready for full accountability. Healing doesn’t demand perfection; it asks for awareness.
Superstition 5: An itchy right palm means money is coming
This one still has a strong hold on me. When my right palm itches, I get excited. More often than not, money does show up through a refund, a gift, or a new opportunity. When my left palm itches, I brace myself for expenses, payments, or loss.
What fascinates me is how much of this is driven by belief. When I expect money, I subconsciously create space for it. When I expect loss, I stay hyper-aware of every outgoing penny.
I’m learning to loosen my attachment to this superstition, but it’s deeply tied to my relationship with money. I’ve grown, but there are still days when comparison, worry, or scarcity creep in. Like days when I forget that money is a tool and not a measure of my worth. Or moments when I forget that I am so grateful for what I have, and money at the cost of my health or time with my loved ones is not my end goal.
Healing for me has been living a life and making decisions that feel closer to my values. At times, it has meant saying no to opportunities that will require sacrifices that I am unwilling to make for the sake of money.
Maybe you grew up with superstitions. Maybe you adopted a few along the way. Maybe some feel harmless and even comforting. And maybe some quietly limit how you see yourself, others, or what’s possible for you. I’m not here to tell you what to believe or what to let go of. I’m simply inviting you to pause.
Which beliefs do you still carry? Why do you hold them? Do they make you feel safer or smaller? Do they support who you are becoming, or keep you anchored to an older version of yourself?
Superstitions don’t have to be one more thing that holds us back. With curiosity and compassion, they can become mirrors showing us where fear still lives, and where growth is waiting. And sometimes, just noticing is the first step toward freedom.
As always, I am here to support you all the way. I hope you keep in touch with your stories, thoughts, and feedback. If you wish to learn more, please stop by www.imperfectbodies.com. Lastly, if you enjoyed this information, then please share it with others.
My 5-minute guide for when you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or lost. Reset your energy and reconnect with yourself. Bonus audio guide included. Available here: Energy Guide
All the best,
Chaitni