Most of us have experienced the feeling of being caught in loops of repetitive thoughts, beliefs, mistakes, relationships and reactions that no longer serve us. When we find ourselves stuck in the same challenging patterns for a long period of time, it can feel incredibly frustrating. We may wonder why and beat ourselves up for not getting it “right.” When we feel like this, it’s helpful to understand that all lessons are circular. If we do not solve a problem or find a way of dealing with an issue the first time it comes around, it circles back and keeps repeating until we make a change. Recurring lessons are not a bad thing. They are actually vehicles for getting to know ourselves better. If taken to heart, the process will lead to self-empowerment. The first step is to have an awareness of your bothersome patterns and a desire to change.
Getting Stuck
When we get stuck in loops, it’s often because we don’t realize that breaking a pattern means making different choices. It’s easy to think the same old problem is out of our control, when it is being presented to us under different circumstances. So we tend to go about life as we always have and hope things will magically change on their own. Unfortunately, this is almost never the case. If we continue to think and react in the same ways, we will inevitably get the same outcome and the issue will only find a way to manifest itself again down the road.
Letting Go
When we attract the same problems over and over, it’s tempting to hang on tighter or to blame others for what is happening to us. However, once we release this tension and blame, our eyes are often opened to the larger lessons we are supposed to learn. Sometimes we are not prepared to make a change at the time a problem shows up, but we can take refuge in knowing it’s possible to find the strength and wisdom to overcome it the next time.
The Power Within Us
When we realize that our challenges come from within and that the outside world is a mirror of our inner world, we are ready to engage in a soul searching journey. Going inward to better understand why we are attracting frustrating or unhealthy situations is a powerful exercise. It leads us to discover the root thought processes, beliefs and stagnant emotions restricting our growth and ultimate happiness. When we recognize our part in creating or facilitating a problem, it highlights where we can take charge and make change.
Remember that Everything is Cyclical
We’ve all heard the saying, “The only thing constant in nature is change.” It means that life’s natural rhythm requires a continued flow of releasing (that which no longer serves us) to make way for new beginnings. When we find ourselves at a crossroads, not knowing, and questioning, it’s helpful to understand that this phase is an integral part of a cyclical process. Life and its lessons will always circle around us, just as nature does.
Life is not random. We attract people, situations and lessons that are part of our energy vibration, reflecting back to us how we feel about ourselves and our place in the universe. Troubling, annoying and debilitating patterns are messages from our inner self. When we pay attention and work with them, we get to know ourselves better and learn where it’s possible to make change. The process is self-empowering when we learn how to take charge and move on to greater things.