Discovering patterns in our life is important. Patterns of behavior reveal the condition of our spiritual and emotional health. 

Over the years, my MacBook Pro laptop has written a few blog articles and books. Its keyboard is becoming worn from extended use. A few months ago, I took my computer in for service, and the technician smiled and remarked, “You must use the S key a lot!” Looking at my keyboard, the imprint of the S key has vanished. The D and A keys are following close behind. Their use has revealed a pattern of wear. My next trip to the computer shop will include a new set of keyboard keys.

In these last few hours of 2020, it would be wise to conduct a personal audit and ask, “What are the patterns revealed about the impact of my life on other people?” We all leave behind the evidence of how we touched other people leaving behind the imprint of our interaction, for the good or bad. To not stop and evaluate the integrity of those interactions is to waste an opportunity for personal growth.

The beginning of healing is being able to see what is not healthy. It is not much fun to see the raw evidence of something unhealthy in our life. Until we are willing to honestly evaluate how our interactions negatively impact other people, we will move into the future unchanged.  Once we see a negative pattern, we can then begin to make the needed adjustments that a healthy change requires. This realization and resulting adjustment will help us not create yet another list of New Year’s resolutions that will only last a week or two into the coming new year because once again, we tried to move on without evaluating the patterns of our life.