Today is all about
breaking your stride. Not slowing down or stopping but moving in an
unexpected direction. I always chuckle to myself when I see those
folk power walking through the mall or on a stroll through the
neighbourhood. Those people on a mission – full bent for their
destination and not letting anything get in their way. Those people
go places and they are very likely to meet the destination they have
set for themselves. Their bodies march to an internal forward,
forward, forward, forward rhythm that propels them from A-B. I know
the charge of following that rhythm, it has gotten me out of a lot of
shopping malls!
It is the rhythm that
moves you. It is rhythm that moves all of us. Rhythm is actuality is
the universal common denominator. Music is built on rhythm. Our
bodies respond to rhythm, in fact they don’t just respond to it
they operate on it; your heartbeat, breathing, brainwaves, hormone
cycles – all rhythmic. The same is true for the natural world; the
tides, lunar phases, seasons, precipitation cycles – all
dependable, constant, predictable, and rhythmic. What about how we
live? Everyday a flow of traffic is running a constant stop and go
pattern. Most of us have a pattern of work and rest both daily and
within a weekly rotation. We follow rhythms we've establish or have
had established for us at work, day in day out, sun up sun down,
breath in breath out – life has a rhythm.
Rhythm is a very good
thing...until it is not. I have missed some very great bargains
following that rhythmic “get the heck out of here” mall march in
my head. Getting on a bad rhythm is different than a bad habit. A bad
habit is a single behaviour that you repeat regardless of the
knowledge that it is doing you no good. Rhythm is how we have learned
to flow through our days we don’t think about it, it just propels
us along developing a bad rhythm is easier than you think. Good or
bad that rhythm you've developed is a comfort to you. I learned that
way back in design school. White pillow, blue pillow, white pillow,
blue pillow, is the subconscious calmer. The 'thing' in the room that
you can't quite put your finger on that gives you a sense of peace
and comfort. It does not matter if the material is ugly and hard on
the eyes; gross pillow, ugly pillow, gross pillow, ugly pillow has
the same calming effect as pretty pillow, cute pillow, pretty pillow,
cute pillow. It is the rhythm that makes you feel good.
That is why even people
who are stuck in bad rhythms think they are navigating life just
fine. They are comfortable even if their rhythm is; stay up late,
sleep till noon, score some 'help', hang with friends, talk about a
job, stay up late, sleep till noon, score some 'help', hang with
friends.... It's their rhythm. It comforts them.
Now, maybe your rhythm
is not that dire, maybe your rhythm is get up, make lunches, go to
work, eat a salad, pay some bills, come home, catch up with friends,
watch some TV go to bed. Nothing wrong with that.
There is nothing wrong
with your Rhythm if you are happy with where you are and what you are
achieving. There is nothing wrong with your rhythm if you don't want
something different for your life. What if you do though, want
something different for your life? You need to break your stride! You
need to stop the left foot right foot chant in your head that is
moving you toward the mall exit and turn left! You need to throw a
orange pillow into the white pillow, blue pillow pattern. That
monster house with the purple door stuck between to cookie cutter
homes on any street in suburbia catches the attention of everyone –
I promise!
If you want to move
yourself to a different place, a different reality, a happier state,
you need to break your rhythm. Do something out of the ordinary, Draw
attention to the thing you want in your life. If you want to be
happier – buy a stranger a coffee today. If you want to move ahead
in your career pick up the phone and call someone you've never talked
to before. If you want to improve a relationship go out for coffee
tonight with that person instead of settling in for the usual sitcom
and a cup of tea. If you want to expand and grow and your business
and your rhythm is based on talking; try listening. If you always
have to be in control let someone else tell you what they think today
and really listen. Take a piece of it and incorporate it into your
rhythm.
Step out of line, move
to the right, do the unexpected. Break your stride.
