Instead of viewing patterns as unchanging reactions that have us careening from one disaster to the next, it’s helpful to see them as multi-faceted parts of ourselves. Ones that are in constant vibration, willing either to be left on course or interrupted.
Imagine, if you will, yourself as the grand ballroom in which various parts of you dance. The choreography is created here, parts of you are moving to inner rhythms of experience; your own, your grandmother’s, your father’s. Some parts move wildly, freely, others seek always the perfect partner, feeling, pitch. Our patterns are dance partners we are courting, rather than enemies we are eradicating. We want to picture ourselves cutting in, during the drumbeat that usually makes our inner child lash out. We want to pivot to a new direction when the string that causes chaos in our marriage, is ever so gently plucked. Always, there is the opportunity to re-choreograph steps before a situation escalates. Always, there is the opportunity to rest consciously, instead of passively drifting from corner to corner.
When we talk about interrupting patterns or freeing the space inside us that is overrun with anxiety, quiet rage and imposter syndrome, what we’re talking about is correcting steps, taking ownership of choreography started either by ourselves or another. What we’re doing for a time is focusing on how we move apart from these disrupters, so we can discern our own resonance and learn to dance to a higher frequency.