Whatever definition is given to the phrase “Pattern Interrupt,” I had an “haha” moment this morning of what it looks like for me.
I didn’t see it as a pattern interrupt at the time, in fact, I thought it was a downright nuisance!
But It Shifted My Thinking
I was actually in the midst of lamenting to God about a project I was struggling with and I swear, there are two people in my life whom God seems to send along at just the right moment as if to say “stop her, she’s going on enough now!” I’m kidding right so no snarly comments about the fact that God isn’t like that … I know!
But in my view, the person who rang was just adding to my pain and I just wanted to end the call asap so I could fling the phone to the other end of the room and exclaim, “how did that help!”
Just know I wouldn’t fling my precious iPhone, but I’m just being transparent with you here … it was how I felt.
I was actually forced by the conversation to shift my thinking into creative mode rather than “I’m stuck” mode.”
After the call, I went back to what I was doing last night that had me all flustered and I saw things from a completely different perspective.
I realised that I was actually looking at the answer I needed but it needed for someone else to bring an alternative that although good, just didn’t resonate with me and it caused me to go back to what did resonate … and in an instant, I could see why. It totally matched my message, my personality and it was simple. Trish likes simple. 🙂
Don’t Complicate Terms
Except maybe from God’s point of view, this wasn’t a strategic pattern interrupt, but what it did was shifted my focus from “woe is me,” to “this will work.” And in changing my perception about the situation, it changed the entire trajectory of my day.
And then I began to pray with boldness and power rather than from a place of weakness and fear. I felt ready to take on the world, get my articles out there, implement the project as my heart delighted in the change it would make to women and their world.
Just trust me when I say that that looked very different to the mood and colour of my day prior to my friend calling.
And it was whilst I was praying and thanking God that I told Him I was grateful for the pattern interrupt. Not a term I use every day, if at all, but in that moment I saw how much my mood had lifted and I had a renewed energy and excitement for my day.
I said “God, you knew that what I needed was a good dose of pattern interrupt.”
Your Turn, But Don’t Wait For The Call
You can interrupt your own pattern of thinking without that call at that crucial moment. Learn to “flip the script” and change what you’re thinking by saying and doing the complete opposite!
I’ve been known to just get up and sing. Quote a relevant scripture from the Bible or a positive quote from whoever, wash my face with cold water as I speak to myself, but let me tell you what you absolutely must do if you want to interrupt your pattern of thinking …Â you must say it out loud.
It’s so much harder to kill a thought with a thought.
Yes it can be done, but test it. The next time you’re speaking negatively to yourself, trying killing that thought with another thought. You’re more likely to revert back to the negative thought.
But get up and move as you say out loud, “I can do this,” and see what a difference it will make.
This is why declarations work so well when said out loud, because not only are you adding emotion when you say it out loud, your ears need to hear it enough so that your heart mind is changed, because what you think in your heart is what you will manifest.
And let’s be honest, if like me you take time out to lament in your head, praying or just plain speaking to yourself out loud, it’s not a first is it?
And so we have to figure out a way to prevent “grumping” being the norm. Because if we don’t stop it, it will stop us … from manifesting what we say we want in life.
How about you, how do you stop the negative chatter in your head.
