Originally published February 9, 2016

Over the last several weeks I have been hearing a re occurring theme…..break the cycle!

Whether it has pertained to my own negative thoughts or relational cycles, my son’s ADHD patterns, or other cooperate negative cycles, in church or work etc. ….breaking old cycles is the only way to foster change and allow us to keep going in a positive direction.

Here is a very helpful activity I did recently, I want to share it with you.  Write down 3 recent personal situations that really got your attention. For each situation, write down all of the emotions that you experienced for each one. (frustration, loneliness, jealousy, etc.)Then write down the ways you acted or responded in each one.(Snapped at your children, dog or cat;-) depression, shopping spree, etc.) Compare the lists, and take notice to any commonalities between them. Same emotions? Similar reactions? Even the situations…did they have any common themes?

Now, locate the common theme, or reoccurring  problem. Once you have located it, take responsibility for your part in it…that is the first and biggest step! You may be tempted to blame the other person but just focus on your responsibility to it….so you can grow and change. The second step, is  deciding how you are going to do the opposite or take a different direction the next time it happens. The third step is, as you are moving forward in this new direction it is going to feel uncomfortable or even come with a whole new set of responsibilities. Decide ahead of time to accept the challenge with courage!

Practicing these steps will help you to ” keep going” in the right direction. It may take a lot of practice and you may not even feel like you are progressing forward, but I promise you, you are! It has been through much personal prayer and support of others that I have been able to do this. The books I am reading, the conversations I have been having and the sermons I have been hearing, all have this echoing theme.

My good friend, who cares about my heart and my soul, bought me this mug. I use it often and read it out loud! I need to keep going!  What good is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? It is insanity!

I created the New Dry, Cracked Hand Lotion for this friend….she was fed up with the dry hand cycle she got every year! She encouraged me to formulate some thing that works. She loves it so much, she exhorted me to make it for all to buy! So now it is available to you! So as you break the negative cycles in your life, you can break the winter dry hands cycle at the same time;-)

Lets” keep going” forward… together.<3