Sometimes we find ourselves in repeating patterns that prevent us from moving forward with our lives. We do things that we know we should not be doing yet we don’t know why we do it. We beat ourselves up because we know we should not do it yet we do it anyway. How do we get over that?
Personally, I have done a lot of work on myself and in my process of growth I have pondered this question a number of times. Is it possible to get to the root of a particular problem, or will I always struggle with it? While pondering this, I discovered the following strategy to get to the root of whatever problem I am faced with.
First, take a look at the pattern from an outside point of view. Step out of the emotion of the moment, then go as far as you can. Think about what you think could lie at the root of the problem. Go as far as you can, then work on releasing what you found with the knowledge you have now.
What you will find is something interesting. You will find that there are likely several layers to whatever is behind the problem – much like there are layers to an onion – and you must take it one layer at a time. Like an onion, the older the pattern, habit, belief, etc. is, the larger the possible numbers of layers. Go as deep as you can with the knowledge you have, and continue to release the new layers you discover as you gather more knowledge. The more you learn, the more layers of the onion you can peel back.
How will you know if you have gotten to the core of the problem? Very simple – you have stopped repeating the pattern. If the pattern persists, you have not gotten to the core. What do you do then? Keep looking for answers and keys to unlock the next layer. You may not have all the answers now, and that’s okay. Go as far as you can with what you have, then look for ways you can go farther. There is only one prerequisite for advancing through the layers and getting to the root of the problem: you must be willing to accept the fact that what you need to know at the heart of the matter may run directly perpendicular to your most cherished and long-held belief systems. Eventually, if you continue with the process, you will run out of layers of the onion to shed. This is when you know you have gotten to the core.
But I must warn you. Once you release the first “onion,” if you get my analogy, you may very well run into another that will try to trip you up. Don’t fear it. Just repeat the same process before. This time, you will be better equipped to handle this new challenge, and releasing it will be much easier because of what you learned from the previous setbacks.
This is how we grow. We are presented with a challenge, gather information about that challenge, overcome it, face the next one, then use the knowledge you gained to top the next one. In this manner, “what stands in the way becomes the way.”
Super Success 