Albert Einstein wrote this saying, which I am sure you have heard many times; The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Groundhog Day (1993) and The Edge of Tomorrow (2014) are two movies (unfortunately there are more out there) where the main characters are stuck in a time loop and they repeat the same day ‘over and over and over’ until they finally () do things in the ‘right’ way and at the ‘right’ timing to achieve the result they actually want. (No-one dies at the end )#yay!
These types of movies for me, are the MOST frustrating to watch. It is so easy sitting on my lounge telling them what they need to do next. Why can’t they just do the right thing, the first time around!!!
Seriously though, who in the whole of history did ‘it’ right the first time? Not one single person springs to mind Every great success story has a thousand ‘trip ups’ along the way. It is a proven fact that our failures, mistakes, attitudes, in-actions, choices and decisions lead us to where we NEED to be IF we are open to make the necessary changes, and are learning (making progress) regardless of the event, situation, problem, issue, disappointment, sidestep, battle, struggle, roadblock, or setback? We should regularly analyze our own patterns of behaviour that could be creating situations over and over, on a time loop - repeating? When we notice history repeating, we can take responsibility for our part in the situation.
Is there something we are doing over and over that is disallowing the outcome we actually desire? Is it our own habits, behaviour, and/or reactions to the situation, causing the situation?
ASK YOUR SELF Is there something I need to learn in this situation? Is it patience, kindness, listening, strategy, self-discipline, self-control or …? (the list is endless) Am I blind to an aspect of my Self, or my personality that needs to be addressed? Is there a reason why this keeps happening to me?
Maybe it is the case, or maybe there is nothing you could do differently and the circumstances are completely outside of your control (external locus). Each of us need to discern for ourselves why the same types of things keep happening to us.
We don’t tend to notice aspects of ourselves until similar situations keep arising, and we are challenged to meet them with a more thought out and mature approach.
Every ‘life lesson’ (this is what I call these times) is an opportunity to become better human beings in the way we handle life’s ups and downs.
We don’t have to change, we can stay the same, it is 100% our choice. The one thing we can be sure of though, is we cannot keep doing the same things and expect a different result.
written By Teresa De Mouilpied-Moore - Authour/Life Coach/CBT Practitioner/Podcaster
Comentários