Pattern Seeking

My experience here at ALU has been beyond anything I could have expected. It is has been full of learning and growing, seeing things in a whole new way.

The most meaningful learning has come outside of the classroom from interacting with ALU students and staff.

I’ve learned that I can climb high and dive down deep literally and figuratively.

As I climbed the physical peaks of Lion Head and La Morne, I found myself wanting to stop, thinking I would hold others back, that I would be a safety risk for others. As I started my descent during my first ever scuba dive, I struggled for air, couldn’t keep my balance and felt completely incapable.

And yet, I climbed both peaks and had a magical dive. Part of the success was seeing the things that held me back very differently than I had before.

• concern for the safety of others was rooted in the fear of not “doing it right”
• struggle for air was based in wanting to be the “best” student and “pass”
• effort to keep my balance and deciding to stop climbing was about worry of how others would see me and what they would think

Patterns That Serve and Those That Don’t

Overthinking, worrying, doubting.

Trusting, grounding, persisting.  

When scuba diving, I couldn’t ask what to do so I had to release myself from overthinking, trust my ability and shift into flow with the water. 

When climbing, I knew the fear I felt going up was an illusion based on how difficult I imagined it will be coming down (it is never as difficult as I fear it will be – and I KNOW that, yet almost let it stop me again).

I saw the patterns that have stopped me in the past for what they are and also saw the pattern within me that is stronger – I don’t stop, I pause and then use my strengths to push through.

I was stuck, until I wasn’t – and the pattern of getting unstuck is so much stronger than the pattern of being stuck.

Your strengths are stronger than your weaknesses, I guarantee it and have the picture to prove it.