Does it feel like this year is already feeling like a repeat of 2021 AND 2020? #Samesies
On this episode, we take a look at what's coming up for you again and again. Are there any repeating behaviors or habits that continue to sneak up? Any familiar patterns that you're experiencing in your day to day? Listen to this episode and decide how you want to respond.
Welcome back to Inner Warmup, where your inner work begins. My name is Taylor Elyse Morrison creator of Inner Workout and you as always are our expert guest. Thanks for being here. Well, let's get started with our mindfulness moment. What we'll do is inhale through your nose and then on the exhale, I want you to purse your lips, like you've got a straw. And so you'll exhale like there's a straw in your mouth. Let's try that a few times together. So inhale and exhale through that imaginary straw.
Inhale, filling up your belly.
And exhale, targeting the air through that imagined straw.
Take one or two more breaths at your own pace.
And when you're ready, you can drop your imaginary straw. Let's get into today's interview.
So the question isn't fully a question. The title is Deja Vu and there's a reason for that.
I saw this meme at the end of last year that was this really surprised person's face, surprised and like, looking a little nervous too. And the text said, “when you realize this year is pronounced 2022, like 2020 comma too. And this already feels like a little bit of a deja vu year in some ways, right? Like maybe just personally, you've invited newness into your year, a new approach to relationships, a new way to engage with your body. And maybe things start to feel the same again, of course.
According to US News and World Report, 80% of people quit their resolutions by mid February. So there's a pretty likely chance that there's some new way of experiencing or engaging with the world that you've invited in, that maybe isn't quite living up to your expectations right now. And for me, when that has happened, and when that does happen to me, a lot of times I'm falling back into what I'm used to. So I have to ask myself, what patterns are repeating? What are the things, the neural pathways if we want to get scientific about it, but what are the ways of being and moving in the world?
But I've gotten so used to that, even though I like to talk to myself differently. Or I'd like to treat my body with more kindness, I'm falling back into these old repeating patterns. And from there, it's helpful for me to reengage by saying, okay, why did I want to let go of that pattern in the first place?
Upon some reflection for myself, I realized that there were some patterns in conflict that were coming up, specifically, me getting into an us versus them mentality, even with people that I love rather than remembering, hey, we're all on the same team. So when I see that pattern coming up, I can realize oh, I didn't want to be an us versus them anymore because that undermines the fact that I care deeply about this person. And that my true goal is to work together to collaborate with that person towards a shared vision. So I'm able, if I can just pause and zoom out for a moment to realize, oh, yeah, I'm getting back into familiar territory and I wanted to navigate out of this territory, because this isn't serving me anymore.
And in this case, because it's something interpersonal, it's not serving us anymore.
I've also noticed some old patterns of self talk starting to come up and self talk is and probably will be a recurring theme in my life. And so what I noticed hey, I used to say that to myself a lot and I let go of it because it wasn't kind. It isn't anything I would ever say to someone that I loved, so why are we back here in this pattern Taylor, when we know that this isn't something that I would say in any normal, loving relationship? You may also notice that it feels like things are repeating and you've got that deja vu sensation just in the world around us.
I'm recording this early in January and it already feels like things are repeating themselves with the pandemic, with conversations that are happening. It's like, haven't we been here before? Why does it feel like we took one step forward, and two steps back. And I've been really interested in social ecology lately and it just reminds me that we're impacted by what goes on around us. We’re not just like these little tiny islands who are unaffected by what's going on in our close communities, in the neighborhoods and cities that we live in, but also in the world globally at large. And so when the environment changes, at the very least, it makes sense for us to do a check in and say, okay, we've been here before. We thought that I, and I'll speak from the “I,” thought that I didn't have to take this factor into consideration, but it turns out I do again. Okay, what do I want to do with this information?
So as I turn the mic over to you, I want you to do something similar. Ask yourself what patterns do I notice? At home, at work, generally in my life and the world around me? What patterns do I notice and how would I like to respond to them?
I'll give you some time to reflect and to share.
I hope you got some good time to reflect. I always appreciate you taking the time to do that with me. Before we sign off, I want to just remind you that taking the time to rate and review the podcast makes a really big difference. And it only has to take about 30 seconds. So if you haven't done that on the platform where you're listening, I'd really really appreciate it! Thank you so much for your time and for your expertise. Take care!
