What do you do automatically? #KnowYourPatterns
“Ever notice that you do things automatically? Think about driving a car. You get in the car, turn it on, and you start going. You barely even think about it. Then you’re driving along and you’re thinking about something else. Sometimes you’re singing a song. You really not really even paying attention all that much to the mechanics of driving a car. You’re just driving.
Ever think about what else you might do automatically?”
Consider that something in the order of 95% of your brain activity is unconscious. Most of what you think and feel, as well as the actions you take, come from your unconscious mind.
If we had to think consciously about everything, we’d never get much done. So our bodymind (brain, heart, nervous system, limbic system, etc.) does this work for us.
We’ve been programming ourselves since birth with neurobiological patterns. These patterns are meant to keep us safe.
A patterns consists of Thoughts -> Emotions -> Actions.
When a pattern is active, we have the same types of thoughts as when this same pattern was active before. In fact, you’ll notice that these thoughts are very familiar. Repetitive thoughts have a purpose… but you don’t control them consciously.
The thoughts trigger (or can be triggered by) an emotion. This, too, is a familiar feeling. You’ve felt this type of emotion for as long as you can remember. The emotion is the power of the pattern and combined with thought is meant to make you do something.
The action is that thing that you do which completes the pattern and would - theoretically - solve your problem.
We are made up of pattern upon pattern. This is our programming, our conditioning. Some of these patterns come from trauma. Most are simply there to protect us from feeling bad, getting hurt emotionally, being humiliated, etc.
Until we take the time to notice these patterns, they continue to happen automatically. They continue to control our thoughts, emotions, and actions.
When we bring these unconscious patterns to conscious awareness, we engage in the process of self-examination or self-inquiry. This helps us understand our programming.
Then we can deprogram and reprogram with patterns that we actually want … as opposed to what we may have created when we were less mature. Most children are not very good programmers.
Next time you have a strong emotion, remember to ask yourself, “what are the thoughts, emotions, and actions that make up this pattern?”
Then shoot me a message and let me know what you find.