Maria Shriver

Breaking Patterns

By Maria Shriver

Follow @mariashriver

I've been thinking about all the patterns I've built up in my life, and I've begun to break them down and question them.

As I find myself living out a pattern, I think: Why am I doing this? Why should I be doing that? Does this pattern move me forward or hold me back?

Do I really want to do it or have I just gotten myself into a pattern of doing this or thinking that because it's what I thought people expected of me -- or it's what I expected of myself?

As I'm sure you know, identifying and then breaking patterns in our lives is hard. Really hard, actually. We fall into them because we don't take the time (we don't have the time) to pause and self-reflect.

To break them, we have to dig down deep, find our courage, step outside of ourselves, and then move what feels like a mountain.

Have you been noticing your own limiting patterns?

A pattern can be anything from always being the one to cook and clean up after a meal to doing everything around the house for our husband or children. It can be that you're the one who is always nagging or you're the one who always has to be right.

Maybe you take the same exact route to work each day out of habit, which stifles your adventurous side? Or maybe you're not pursuing a new passion because you've convinced yourself over time that you're not that kind of person?

You might be the one who is always quiet at work and full of rage at home. Perhaps you're the one everyone turns to for comfort, help or advice, and you never ask for it yourself.

You might be the one who dims their light so others can shine. You might be afraid of your feminity so you cover it up. 

Whatever the pattern, the reality is we have a choice to break it. And breaking the behaviors that may not be serving us well is an act of self-care, self-preservation and self-worth.

So, let's all break a pattern this week and create something new in our lives! In the comments section below, share what you did and how you did it.

Go beyond what is and into what can be -- into The Open Field. 

Photo credit: Public Poster Project on the Behance Network