Changing Habits: The Line in the Turd

Changing habits can be an unpleasant part of life.  I apologize for the somewhat graphic nature of my analogy, but it got you to click, didn’t it?

Major Shifts Take Time

When our first child was born we were, like most new parents, extremely careful with every new transition.  We only introduced one new food at a time.  When we moved from peas to carrots she showed no sign of adverse reaction, but to our surprise the diaper we changed hours later contained a clear division between the green peas and the orange carrots.

Often when we make changes in our life and habits, we feel beat down by the ramifications of old patterns coming back to bite us.  Sometimes it feels like God or the universe is conspiring against us and our progress, but the truth is that we just forgot we still had peas in our system.

Transitions Are Sacred

This purging of the old patterns and flushing out of our emotional and energetic systems with the new way of being is a sacred process.  If we can embrace it as such (bid farewell to the aftereffects of the old patterns and celebrate and welcome the new ones) we can use this time to anchor and strengthen our new beginnings and deepen the healing process.

Mind The Gap

Like all of life’s stumbling blocks, awareness and intention can bring us through without too many skinned knees.  I find that ritual is a great way to bring awareness and intention to even the most mundane situations.  Here’s a suggestion to help you move from peas to carrots.  All you’ll need is a small fire (candles can work, too), a pen and paper and some white sage, sweet grass or your favorite incense.

Identify The Old Pattern

Name what it is that you are leaving behind.  Write it down on paper, and be sure to capture the emotional essence of what this pattern has meant to you (both the positive and the negative).

Release The Old Pattern

Light a small fire or candle, and offer a gentle breath into the flame.  Read your paper into the fire and affirm your intention to release this pattern, including the parts that have served you.  Affirm the new, healthier ways in which you will meet these needs.  When that feels complete, cast your paper into the fire and allow it to burn completely, and see the old energy pattern floating away with the smoke (might want to open a window, or do this outside).

Fill The Void

We never want to release anything without intentionally replacing it.  Nature abhors a vacuum, and we don’t want the void to absorb just anything.  Hold your sage, sweet grass or incense to your heart and fill them with the light of your new intention.  Verbally affirm everything you are drawing in to help you hold this new pattern and cast the herb or incense into the fire.  Allow the smoke to carry your intention and your prayers where they need to go.

There Is No Spoon

The ritual itself is completely meaningless unless it helps to focus your mental and emotional energies, so feel free to modify the details to suit your needs.  Even the most impactful ritual, however, can’t break the chain of causality.  You will still need to wait for the peas to work their way out of your system.

As you witness these old patterns breathing their last, thank them for what they have done for you and revisit the release ritual in your mind.  Continue to replace this departing energy with your new intention.

If you’d like any help deepening this process, or if your old habit is more persistent than you feel you can handle on your own, we are just a phone call away. Feel free to contact us to schedule a free consultation today!