The "Cycle Breaker" Entry

I was obsessed with Tom and Jerry as a child.?

I would falling over with laughter at the tricks Jerry would play on Tom.

I even attempted some of the tricks he used. I remember stepping on a rake to see if it would hit my forehead the way it hit Tom’s.?

Let’s just say I learnt that the bumps that grow out of their heads are not exaggerated??

As a person watching the show, you get excited when Jerry wins because you see Jerry as the hero and Tom as the villain. At least that’s how I always saw them. Till it got to a particular episode.

In this episode Tom falls in love and he leaves Jerry alone.?

As a mouse, you would expect Jerry to be delighted to be left alone, but he was not. Jerry spent the whole episode trying to sabotage Tom so Tom would get back to chasing him around.

I remember being confused when I first watched one of such episodes. Like ah? So Jerry likes to be chased????

It occurs to me now that he might not have really liked it, he had just gotten used to it.

This reminds me of the story of the elephant chained to a pole. At first he struggles and struggles to be free. Then eventually, he gets used to being stuck there.

By the time the chains are broken, he doesn’t attempt to leave anymore because this is the new cycle. It is what he’s used to so he doesn’t even realize he’s free.?

As a child I did not understand Jerry. When I first heard the story of the elephant, I did not understand it either.

But, in fact, there are a lot of people that act just like Jerry and the elephant.?Even I have caught myself dwelling so much on past excuses for not doing a particular task that I failed to realize that there are already solutions.?

You might be in his boat too. There’s nothing holding you back anymore but because you’re used to a particular limitation, you’d rather remain in it than move forward.?

While some people do not even realize that they do not have those limitations anymore(eg. the elephant), others recognize it and choose to remain there, like Jerry.

Don’t get so used to that bad situation that has been holding you back that you become blind to the solutions that are right in front of you.?

Do not also get too comfortable in unhealthy situations.

Keep your mind open and always in search for something better.?

Whatever limitations you have now are just for a season, understand that they do not last forever and continue striving to be better.?

Be aware of these patterns or cycles holding you back and do not be afraid to keep working to break them. Do not let familiarity keep you from growing.?

Most importantly, do not be like Jerry who loved the fight for freedom more than the freedom itself.?

Embrace change. Remember why you started striving for more in the first place.?

RANDOM FACT OF THE WEEK: The United Arab Emirates is a desert and so does not experience a lot of natural rain. To supplement the little rain they have, artificial rain is created through a process called cloud seeding. The UAE is just one of the countries that cloud seed. Other countries include; South Africa, Russia, USA, etc.

When your opportunity for growth comes, I hope you recognize and embrace it.?

I wish you the best week!

See you next Sunday.

Your trusty growth partner,?

Dee?