The Hamster Wheel

How many of you feel like you are on a hamster wheel?

It's early in the morning when I prepare for work, so often my room is still dark. Usually, I don't bother turning on my light, but every day, I open my closet and pull out an outfit for the day. Then I close the door. In the dark, I don't always see very well, but I see well enough to find an outfit. One of these typical mornings, I grabbed my outfit, closed the door, and got ready for work. Then I grabbed everything I needed for the day and left my home. Hours later, I returned. My usual greeter wasn't on the cupboard near the door when I arrived home. I thought that was unusual, but I just assumed he must be sleeping. I pulled off my shoes and headed down the hallway to my room. Suddenly, loud meows began. Where on earth was my cat? I began searching and quickly opened my closet door, and there was Chico peering down at me from the top shelf of the closet. When he realized he was finally free again he quickly jumped down and went about his business as if nothing at all happened to him. I felt bad he'd been shut away inside my closet all day. Certainly, he realized the mistake of climbing inside my closet.

Several days later, I opened my closet door to pull out my clothes, and then I closed the door. This time I caught myself, "Wait, did a cat climb inside my closet?" I opened my closet door again to check. Sure enough, Chico was back inside my closet. Silly cat! I figured that being locked in a closet for several hours would have done the trick and kept him away. But it didn't.

Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. Chico's escapade clearly fits this definition. However, I know he isn't the only one to repeat the same thing and expect a different result. I have done this many times in my own life as well. My insanity wasn't about climbing inside a closet, though, it was more about returning to the same places or the same friends that were not nurturing or supportive. I also repeated the same behaviors over and over again, expecting a different result, and I also allowed the same thoughts to enter my mind and cause me to spiral downward. All of these are also patterns of insanity that God finally helped me break in my recovery journey and in my own work with life coaches.

To change our insanity we need a pattern interrupt. How do we do this? God can help us change, but oftentimes we need others to help us see the insane patterns we repeat in our lives. Sometimes we need the help of others to identify where these insane things come from in our lives so we can begin to make changes in our lives. This is one thing life coaches help with. They help unearth these things in our lives so we can move forward.

Are you tired of repeating the same cycles and patterns in your life? Do you feel stuck? Maybe it's time to explore what life coaching can do for you. Sometimes God knows we need others to help us see what we can't see by ourselves.

Father, I pray that you will be with each of the individuals out there who are feeling frustrated, upset, exhausted, and overwhelmed by why the steps they continue to take aren't helping them make headway in their lives. Help them reach out to receive the support that they need. Help them realize that life coaching can guide them to the truths they cannot see themselves. May they be willing to reach out for the support and help they need.