Our Patterns can Make or Break Us

By Michael Knight

Sunday 24 May 2009

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Are you aware of your patterns?
After a Separation, whether it be a mild upset or a long winded Divorce battle causing severe trauma, you may have felt like 'Sylvester the Cat', a character from the famous Warner Bros' cartoon series. This loving character with plenty of charm would usually come off second best, either being hit on the head a myriad times, flattened by a steam roller, hung out to dry by that naughty old dog 'Hector', getting a roasting by 'Granny' or just plain outsmarted by that witty bird called 'Tweety Bird'. These were just a few of the atrocities that poor ol' Sylvester encountered in his daily screen adventures, and as his fans no doubt remember, his favourite saying "Suffering Succotash" was a subtle attempt at profanity, presumably venting his anguish and despair.

However, one thing that could be said about Sylvester was that no matter how many hard knocks and setbacks he took, he still got back up with plenty of enthusiasm and gusto. He was just not going to be beat! One might say it was a pattern of his. Whether it be a good or bad pattern maybe a matter of opinion. However, one deep hard wired pattern which couldn't be changed for Sylvester, was his true nature of being a cat; wanting to eat that little yellow 'yummy' bird.

So when you are struggling with your life as poor old Sylvester did from time to time and still feeling a bit battered and bruised as you rest, taking time out to assess your life, perhaps pondering which direction to go, you may like to give your internal patterns some consideration.

Counter productive patterns may sabotage your life somewhat, giving you the feeling you're not achieving your full potential or have the freedom to pursue what's in your heart. They maybe so ingrained that they're affecting your ability to even know what you want to do. You maybe feeling something's not quite right, yet can't seem to put your finger on the problem. What's stopping you or holding you back — questions you may agonise over. Even asking what's wrong with me, what's missing — as you frown with that disheartened look, struggling for an answer, any answer — please just a sign, as your pleas turn into an almost begging whimper.

Huh Hah...

Could it be, that your patterns are stopping you from heading in that new direction, charting those rough seas confidently, happily breaking new ground or simply getting high on all that life has to offer, once again?

So what are patterns?
Mental patterns are a complex topic, however they can be somewhat likened to a record that has certain grooves deeper than others, causing the needle to stay lodged, playing the same track over and over. Or on the other hand they may present like a CD that skips tracks, important information you need to know, or even like your disc brakes on your car where the unevenness of the disc may wear out your brake pads sooner than expected, possibly giving you a rough ride and leading you down a road of difficulty you may not wish to travel.

Regardless of these analogies being good or otherwise, patterns dictate your life to a large extent as they reside in your subconscious mind running in the background. A bit like your operating system (ie. Windows XP) on your computer running many small programs which are transparent or unbeknown to most of us, unless close examination is undertaken.

Do we need to know about our patterns?
More often than not you will never need to contemplate an understanding of your patterns if you are happy with your life and the direction of your journey. However, if you are trying to change your life's course and find it's not happening, no matter how hard you turn the steering wheel, learning about your patterns may prove beneficial to you. An awareness of your patterns may just help you effect change, into something you want to BE. Self discovery may also be the key as to why you are here, and certainly a helpful tool to unlock your human potential, if not spiritual awakening.

How are patterns formed?
For most they are formed automatically, with few people being aware of the process deep in their subconscious. Through repetition of an action your subconscious says we've done this many times before this particular way, so it must be useful, hence it can be stored away as a sub program in the subconscious mind where processes are done automatically and freely, without the conscious mind having to think and get involved. Just like you don't have to think about breathing or walking.

How do you change your patterns?
The best way and possibly only way to change your old patterns that aren't working for you is to create new habits. Creating new patterns or habits is possibly the best way to get fruitful results. Fighting or resisting old habits may prove to be a waste of your time and energy. One of many good books to read is 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' by Stephen Covey. Implement good work habits and put in the hard yards as remember — "there ain't no free lunch."

Patterns are an interesting phenomena and I encourage you to surf the net for information that explores them more in depth psychologically or scientifically, gaining the strength to push forward and overcome all your obstacles.

With love, peace and kindness
Michael