Humans are pattern seeking creatures.
We pick patterns out of things no matter how random they may actually be. It can happen consciously or subconsciously. It can be beneficial or destructive. The simple fact is, we do it all the time. If nothing else, it is our way of enforcing at least a little order in the entropic universe that we exist in.
Because we see them everywhere, we also fall into them. Our minds get wired in a certain way and then, without even having to think about it, we continue on in the pattern. This is the force of habit. It allows us to coast along familiar pathways while thinking of other things, while paying attention to other things… while looking for other patterns.
A destructive habit gets us into a rut. That happens when we pass the point where the habit helps us move forward. Always getting involved with the same type of abusive people. Always drinking too much. Always butting heads with coworkers or bosses. These things can be good for all involved ever now and then, but when they become automatic–when they paint a noticeable pattern and are done without thinking–they begin to dig us into a rut.
Once in a rut, we constantly face the danger of the sides collapsing in on us. If we continue digging for too long, we lose sight of anything outside of our rut. Getting out of a deep rut can take a genuine catastrophe. In a rut, we stagnate and, eventually, are buried by the reality that’s built up around us while we haven’t been paying attention.
We all do it once in a while.
That’s why becoming aware of your own patterns is important.
If our energy goes wherever our attention is focused, it benefits us–and those around us–for us to devote some time every now and then to sounding out our habits. Are they still serving us in a positive manner? Are they helping or hurting those around us? Are we stagnating because of them?
Putting energy into becoming aware of our patterns opens us up the other patterns that intersect our own. It allows us to see how we got to where we are and shows us where our cycles of personal development occur.
Everything runs in cycles. Like the sun and moon through the sky and the seasons through the year, some things will always follow one another. Our patterns are cyclical. Our habits can move us forward or trap us in a part of those cycles. Seeing those intersecting patterns–the jumping off point between cycles–is one of the keys to personal and metaphysical development.
Once we tune in to these cycles, we can begin to plan our development. Once we tune in to these cycles, we are putting energy into them–activating more patterns and letting the Universe know we are ready for actual change. The Universe will provide us with the opportunities for learning and development. It is still up to us to actually do the work, to make the sacrifices and to accept the challenges.
But this can also work against us. We can project negative energy. If we have bad habits–be they patterns of thought or action–they can spin the cyclical changes in the other direction. Instead of climbing up and forward through the interlocking cycles, we spiral downward, deeper into our ruts or further afield from where we want to be.
This is why we need to be aware of what we do automatically. This is why we need to see the jumping off points of our own cycles. Without that awareness, we can drive ourselves further from our goal (whatever that goal my be) because of our own negativity.
We can choose to ignore the cycles. We can choose to bounce through cycles whenever we’re lucky enough to hit the right combination of effort and timing. We can choose to accept blindly whatever comes our way. Or we can take action and assert our will–our desires–and take control of our lives.
This will not necessarily stop “bad” things from happening. Every apparent setback may be part of a transition between cycles. If we have chosen to pay attention, though, we can seize the opportunity.
We can choose which cycle we want to be a part of.
We can create our own patterns.
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