You know how violinists can boast on having a real Stradivarius?
Well….my dog is a real Pavlov.
Pavlov, for those not familiar with the researcher who tied his name to dogs drooling at the sound of a bell indicating food was on its way, was a scientist who in fact studied human behavior, but felt dogs would serve the purpose of evidence too.
Personally I find the ease with which science compares rats and other animals to people often questionable,
but Pavlov I must admit had a point with his claim that living beings in general tend to respond to programmed impulses.

Taking my dog as an example, she responds like a prototype should.
When I call her name, she stops in her tracks, turns around and looks at me.
When I place her food tray on the floor, she immediately comes to the kitchen to eat (also when the food tray is empty)
When I put my shoes on to go out, she runs to the front door to get there first and sits till she’s figured out whether she’s allowed to come or not.  She even does this when I put my house slippers on, which proves it’s my  ‘when I put things on my feet’  behavior that triggers the dog’s pattern.

Now as with many humans, the dog funnily enough doesn’t really know why she is doing what she is doing.
She has been programmed to behave this way, it is her pattern.
Us human beings also live by a lot of patterns and after a while also tend to forget why we do what we are doing.
Patterns create an illusion of safety. They dispense the necessity to be on our guard, as patterns tell us ‘this is the way we do things around here’. Yet ask your Self this:

Are patterns in fact a reflection of reality?

 

The 4 of Challenges: Patterns. (click on the card to learn more on its meaning.)

4 of Challenges

Patterns are tricky habits, making us believe we have everything under control. They are rules to live by. We believe they will keep us from missing out on something; while meanwhile we miss out on everything that takes place outside of these patterns
Patterns are like strongly embedded bob-sledge-trails in our brains, which we follow as fast as possible, not out of mindfulness but out of ‘pattern-fulness.’

Now consider this:
Do your regular sledge – trails really serve you?
What would it be like to take a relaxed stroll in the park and have a change of scenery?

In fact, with Christmas coming up, let’s make this a personal casestudy.
Dive into your subconscious and see what you would really like to celebrate this year surrounding the holidays and most importantly  how you would like to celebrate life.

Step outside the Xmas comfort zone and do something totally different for a change;
a bit like Scrooge who had a life changing experience and saved the life of little Tim by listening to the inner voices of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Scrooge after all, is nothing but an Archetype, or prototype if you will, mirroring how we tend to live by following patterns…

Celebrate this year’s Christmas as if you are celebrating for the very first time in your life.
Explore what you see happening around you, discover what you can mean for others at the same time asking yourself what would serve you in the present circumstances the best.
Have yourselves a merry conscious christmas holidays…

Some more on the Nan Yar – Who Am I number 4 card of Challenges:
The Suit of Challenges are all about the development of the I-consciousness, the divine center traveling with us from experience to experience within one lifetime;
and from lifetime to lifetime and the intermissions in between.

The 4, is the number of balance, the comfort zone in which we like to reside. However there is more to life than the 4, such as proceeding to the 5, the number of the essence of being human, or the 6, the number of communication.

Tapping on Patterns. Energycize by Donna Eden
Should your subconscious come up with the answer you might do well changing some of your patterns;
then Donna Eden, hands you this easy and simple exercise
If you can’t tap yourself, ask someone else to do the tapping for you, while you create your own affirmations.

With all best wishes

Ingrid Schippers