Today’s topic of discussion with my higher self/inner voice during my meditation was about breaking cycles. It sounds so important. Life changing. But this whole “breaking” thing sounds like it’s going to be tough. Maybe even painful.
Not Breaking the Cycle
So I’ve decided that if we’re going to tackle this “cycle” thing, we need to rephrase the whole statement. It would probably be much easier for us all if we stopped looking at our repetitive behaviors and choices as things we need to “break.” And instead look at our patterns of behavior, our cycles, as things we need to maintain. But not in the static sense of the word (see Option 1 below), but rather, the “upkeep” type of maintenance (see Option 2 below).
maintain • [meyn-teyn] • verb (used with object)
1. to keep in existence or continuance; preserve; retain
2. to keep in an appropriate condition, operation, or force; keep unimpaired
Dictionary.com
The Truth About Our Cycles
We often maintain our cycles in line with the first definition above. Because they have become a way for us to easily “preserve” our lives as we know it. Or at least we think they do. But we all know the cliche – change is constant, and most people don’t like that.
But because change is constant, we need to maintain our cycles – keep them in tip top shape. Our cycles need regular maintenance. We don’t need to wait until a cycle gets so worn out it needs to be purposefully “broken” in order to get back on track. Or worse yet, the cycle gets broken by something out of our control (some sort of unexpected loss) and we are left wondering where to even begin. Think proactive, not reactive.
What It Isn’t
A cycle isn’t just a wheel, although many people I’ve spoken to about cycles seem to think of it as such. Personally, my higher self and I conveniently think of it as a “bi-cycle” chain. Each part has its function and if one part is rusty or worn out, the entire chain falters, making for a clumsy ride. If you don’t take the time to find the problem, and take it apart and fix it, it will eventually break on its own.
This is Going to Sound Daunting
It sounds exhausting at first, but if we took the time to regularly look at our repetitive behaviors, opinions, thoughts, etc., we could keep things spruced up as we go. We could tend to all the parts of our cycles and work on improving each along the way. Bit by bit.
If we do this, the cycle changes and regularly becomes completely new, without anything having to be shockingly “broken.” Because when something is broken, it takes time to fix, and the void is obvious. And as we already know, it’s even harder to manage our lives when a piece of us is so blatantly missing.
So Don’t Break the Cycle
You really don’t have to “break” anything. Simply switch your approach to continuous improvement. Quiet your mind and see what’s going on inside. Because those are the cycles that are affecting your life experience. Not the other way around.
This is also another way to increase your self awareness. And if you do this life will provide a smoother ride, with more planned excitement (and less unexpected dips and curves). All you need to do is keep your cycles maintained and updated with fresh perspectives.
