Dismount the Merry-Go-Round: 5 Ways to Break a Cycle.

How many times throughout your life have you made this declaration:

“I will never do THAT again?”

And then you did it.

I was trapped in this cycle for most of my life until I decided to take control.

Here’s what I did:

What is Hell on Earth?

I would define it as being stuck in a loop; lost and victimized by your own repeated patterns.

All of your dreams and goals seem to be just out of arms reach.

You are living under an invisible barrier that you can’t get beyond:

I rode this merry-go-round of

“Mistake— Resolution to do Better— Same Mistake” for decades.

This whip-lashed uncontrollable ride left me dizzy, disoriented, and depressed.

Over time, I’ve learned some things…

My latest victory has been over my caffeine consumption.

I prefer to practice with less significant physical habits so I'm more equipped to take on the emotional and spiritual beliefs.

Here’s my current process in five steps:

Life can be This AND That.

The notion that life is one way or the other leads to stagnation. Accepting that life is shades of gray will set your mind free.

Conceptualize the habit you want to change then neutralize the thought that you’ll NEVER do it AGAIN.

I tried to cut caffeine out completely and failed every time.

Black or White, This or That…

Ask: “How could I mindfully alter this habit and set myself up for success?”

I decided that I was a person who drinks one strong cup of coffee per day.

A shade of gray.

Let me tell you: Knowing my morning coffee is my ONE cup for the entire day has increased the pleasure of the experience exponentially.

I find so much gratitude in that rich black nectar, which sets a tone of gratitude for the entire day. This one life change has created a ripple effect of positive outcomes.

AND I’ve created a new aspect of my personality.

Me. I created it. I’m in control of my caffeine consumption.

Rebuild Self-Trust.

Every single time you do the thing you don’t want to do, your subconscious is taking notes.

You may not learn from your mistakes, but your nervous system certainly will.

What you’re left with is the impression that you can’t win.

“I cannot be trusted to change this habit”

“Why do I keep doing this over and over and over?”

What if someone you know kept making promises to you and then breaking them? You’ve lost trust in yourself.

Failing to keep our promises damages our relationship with ourselves.

I approached myself as if I were making amends with a loved one:

I asked myself for forgiveness and grace. I pledged to be mindful of my promises and even gave myself a hug.

Then I acknowledged the divine:

I asked myself for guidance.

That’s when the idea of one cup of coffee came to mind.

Your higher self is waiting to help.

Set Achievable Goals.

I LOVE to set big goals.

I LOVE to make dramatic declarations.

I LOVE the dopamine fix from all of it.

And that's the beginning of my self-induced pattern:

Big Goals - Overwhelm - Failure - Self-Loating - Big Goals

I'm on the merry-go-round. Weeeeee!! "Faster! Faster! We need another master!"

Interesting that as kids, our rhymes are so poignant now. When we are on the merry-go-round there is always a new master in control of the momentum.

Set. Very. Small. Goals.

The small victories create gigantic vibrations.

If you can win, no matter how substantial, you’ve altered the cycle.

You’ve interrupted the pattern.

I started out with this goal: Tomorrow, for my afternoon espresso I will have a single instead of a double.

One day. One simple goal. Easy-peasy.

Now, build from there.

I had to prove to myself that I could make one decision differently.

With that knowledge installed, I set another small goal. And then another.

Soon, my entire personality was altered:

I AM a person who drinks one cup of coffee per day.

Supercharge Your Affirmations

At the beginning of my spiritual path, I asked Google for advice: “How can I become more spiritual?”

The top answer was “Saying Affirmations”.

What is an affirmation? Some examples of common affirmations are: “I am enough” or “I am powerful”

The idea is to repeat them until you believe them.

Once believed, reality aligns

I have always supported this “fake it until you make it” philosophy. Or in other words, “Be it Until you Are it”.

But, I’ve recently been able to expedite this process:

When making affirmations personal and tying them to a vision, you amplify their effectiveness.

Add “because” to personalize it

And “Which means” to supercharge the emotion.

Here's my personal example. Let's take "I am powerful."

Try saying this affirmation and you may find that immediately all of the reasons why you aren't powerful bubble to the surface. These are your limiting beliefs.

Now add 'because' and 'which 'means':

“I am powerful because I am sober from crystal meth which means I have the willpower to change ANYTHING I want about myself.”

Feel the difference?

I just took “I am powerful” and amplified the energy of that affirmation 10 times. By amplifying the energy, I've decreased the time it takes to actually believe it!

Try it for yourself!

Mindful Decision-Making

So now is the part of actually doing it.

The day-to-day low dopamine life part.

The default cycle part.

You’ve practiced shades of gray perception, you’ve rebuilt self-trust, you’re a proven winner, and your affirmations are manifesting machines. So, now what?

Now it's 3:00 pm on a Wednesday and all you can think about is lattes (my example of course).

“I mean, just one is okay, right?

“I really need to stay up late tonight to get some stuff done.”

This is the pivotal moment when you can redirect your entire life.

In my case, to drown out those voices convincing me to repeat my patterns, I adopted a mantra.

“I am a person who drinks one cup of coffee a day”

Repeat, repeat, repeat

The decision is then made for me. There is no debate.

Make the decision and take control.

I AM overrides cycles, patterns, beliefs…

I AM creates your reality.

So...who ARE you?

You CAN change your life, one habit at at time, one decision at a time. It is time to step into your power and create the personality and life you desire.

Get off the merry-go-round and join me on this journey back to self. Thank you for reading and being a part of my life. Love to all.

I am the perfect balance between spirituality and practical leadership all wrapped up in a life coach. BIG things are happening for me right now, so if you're interested in joining the ascension to the highest and best life ever, email me at dallas@drdallasbragg.com.

Ever wonder why you're triggered by certain people, places, or situations? I'll bet there is a limiting belief underneath that emotional response. Download my FREE guide to Overwriting Limiting Beliefs to begin the process of unpacking and rewriting that belief.