Repeating the Pattern

Ever think about why we repeat the same patterns in our lives over and over again? Why does the alcoholic continue to drink after three DUI convictions? Why does the person in an unhealthy relationship keep attracting the same type of person over and over? Why does the smoker with lung cancer continue to smoke? Why does the person with a potentially fatal sexually transmitted disease continue to have unprotected sex?

What are the patterns in your life?

Ever stop to think that these patterns are meant to be learning experiences for our lives? In other words, that situation in your life will never go away until you’ve learned the lesson it came to teach you.

I often think about my beautiful, precious mother. She was married to my dad for 25 years before he transitioned. For the sake of family I will just say, it wasn’t a healthy relationship. My mother endured a lot. She unfortunately repeated the pattern with her second husband. It was almost an identical situation. He was unfaithful. He was sick, and needed a caretaker, and again my mother stepped in and played the part.

Why did she repeat the pattern by choosing the same type of person as opposed to someone who would cherish, adore, and take care of her? Again, why do any of us repeat the same patterns? Bottom line is, perhaps we did not learn the lesson the first time around.

Despite my awareness of this situation, I have still repeated the same patterns over and over in many situations and circumstances. I have grown to believe that some patterns are generational, and therefore consequently handed down from our parents and others in our lives.

How can we break these patterns?

I am using a few conscious methods to work on breaking some of the negative patterns in my life. I would like to share them with you.

1. Recognize the Pattern: Being aware of the pattern is the first step to breaking the cycle.
2. Be willing to change by learning the lesson: We must be willing to look at and examine self in an effort to grow and not repeat the pattern.
3. Take a look at how your life is and what you would like to change: Take time for self-reflection to really go deep inside in an effort to know and feel what you want your life to be like.
4. Do not blame yourself or others for how your life has turned out: blaming others or yourself blocks our growth and learning. It is not a blame game. It is about learning from the experience of repeated patterns.
5. Assess your environment: is it healthy or does it lend itself to repeating the same patterns?
6. Change your thoughts from I can’t to I can.
7. Change your thoughts to, I am enough. Take control of your mind.

Let me be clear, we are co-creators of our own lives. We must be conscious creators. We must ask ourselves the hard questions about why we keep repeating the same patterns.

Many people live their lives reacting to the events around them without taking time to examine their own thoughts and actions. I have found myself repeating the same patterns due to my own thoughts and actions. It is my intention to begin to break the cycle and embrace newness. To begin to be more aware of my thoughts and actions, and the repeated patterns that I am creating, in an effort to break the cycle.

What patterns are you repeating in your life?

Have you been able to break some of the patterns in your life, and if so, how? Share your own stories about breaking negative patterns in your life. Your feedback would be welcomed and appreciated.

Much love,

Vince