Breaking Out from Negative Cycles: Are You Ready to Demolish the Wall?

Do you ever feel like you're stuck in a loop, repeating the same actions daily without any sense of progress? Many individuals experience this feeling, yet they decide to stay in these unfulfilling routines, either distracted or feeling trapped, unsure or unwilling to break free. 

At times, individuals remark, “It’s easy for you, Tea,” believing their challenges are tougher than mine. If you feel this way, it's a limiting mindset that makes you a victim of your circumstances and doesn't assist you in breaking free. 

What are some patterns that keep individuals stuck in a cycle, unable to escape? Typically, there are several internal barriers that must be addressed. These underlying issues can include unresolved fears that affect decisions and behaviors, succumbing to harmful desires such as seeking inappropriate romantic attachments (both within and outside long-term relationships), spending excessive time on distractions (like entertainment, games, etc.), and restrictive mindsets (such as “I can’t stop doing… whatever bad habit exists in a person’s life)…

Many individuals invest significant amounts in therapy to overcome their limitations. While some succeed in breaking free, others do not. Here are a few insights I've found beneficial in my personal healing journey.

#1 Make time

Make time to pause and address your limiting factors. You must choose to 'break free' from these constraints in your life; it won't occur by accident. It requires a deliberate effort. 

#2 Engage the process

Breaking out from negative cycles is a process that takes time, so be gentle with yourself. Picture a large wall in your backyard that needs to be demolished, and you have a hammer to break it down. The Word of God is the hammer, and the wall exists in your mind. It requires diligence to consistently engage with the Word of God by declaring, praying, reading, contemplating, and listening for the wall to diminish. Developing a daily habit of interacting with the Word of God is essential. The more you engage with the Word daily, the quicker the process will conclude. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” - Jeremiah 23:29

#3 Examine your life

There are many limiting factors in life and many worldly thinking patterns that we need to break out from. The question is, what is the Holy Spirit revealing now that we have the grace to address and break free from? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal these to you. Be mindful of your dreams, the answers you receive in prayer, and the observations of your daily activities. 

#4 Start journaling

Document your journey. Write down both the positive and challenging days as you journey to escape negative patterns. 

#5 Find a support group

Some days, it may seem like there's no progress or reason to break free from negative cycles. On such days, support from those who have experienced the same journey is essential. Surround yourself with friends who share the same determination and resolve to overcome their challenges. 

#6 Find inspiration!

At times, observing the journeys of others helps us discover our own. You can draw inspiration from the true stories of individuals like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, or plain Janes you may not know, who lead lives as overcomers. Watch an inspiring film, purchase an uplifting book, or engage in conversations with those who have overcome challenges.

# 7 Diligence. Diligence. Diligence. 

The key is to work diligently with the Holy Spirit to break free from limitations! Freedom doesn't require money or anything else you think you're missing. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." - 2 Corinthians 3:17