I recently had a game of Battleships with one of my husband's sons. While we were setting it up, we were discussing the rules of the game and how to play. I shared with him that the top tray was for our moves. We place a white pin for a miss and a red pin for a hit of the opponent's ship. And that the bottom tray was track our opponents moves. He suggested that we didn't need to bother with the white pins as they are a miss. I said but then you won't recall what actions you have taken and may repeat the same move over and over and still get a miss.
This got me thinking...how many times in life do we repeat the same move and expect to finally get a hit? How many times do we repeat the same action and expect to get a different or better result? How many times in life do we repeat the same words over and over and expect to see a different response from another?
If a particular behavior is consistently leading to negative consequences or unfulfilling outcomes, it suggests that it's time to consider making a change.
Maybe it is time to mark that spot with a white pin and make a different move! Maybe it is time to change your own behavior. Maybe it is time to start speaking different words.
This could apply to aspects of your lifestyle, relationships, or work habits.
I have a banana muffin recipe that never ever works out. It is always too dense and not the light and fluffy muffin that I want at the end with my cup of herbal tea. Now I have tried this recipe several times, hoping that each time there will be a different result of fluffy muffins. But each time not a fluffy muffin to be found in the tin. After several tries, at some point I needed to reflect on this because I was getting nowhere and wasting a lot of time and ingredients!!!
"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten."
-Tony Robbins
The same goes for our lives. What are you doing over and over and getting less satisfying or even negative result? Where do you need to be reflective, adaptive, and open to change. Growth and success often require a willingness to reassess and modify our approaches.
Are you having the same argument over and over with your spouse and expecting to finally see a positive outcome?
Are you stressed out at work or in life due to overcommitting and then expect less stress next week without adjusting the workload or your calendar commitments?
Are you frustrated with digestive issues but expect it will get better with time without adjusting your diet?
It is time to embrace change and realize that the only thing you really can control is you and how you adapt and respond to your life. It is time to break away from unproductive patterns to achieve different and better results. This might just be the wake up call you need, urging you to break free from the chains of stubborn repetition.
"You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending."
-C.S. Lewis
Let us recognize that the echoes of our past actions cannot be silenced by wishful thinking alone. The conviction lies in acknowledging the need for change, for a departure from the familiar path that has led us to the same unsatisfactory results time and again.
Change is NOT an option if you want to live a liberated life. It is time to embrace a different strategy, a better recipe for life. It is time to make a more powerful move and finally get a HIT in your life today!
May you choose a path to progress today.
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