Cycles

By Aaliyah Moore 

“See the devil, he learns for your mistakes, even if you don’t. That’s how he keeps you in cycles, cycles.”

These are lyrics from one of my favorite songs, and they are so true. As hard as it is to admit it, we’ve all at some point in our lives gotten stuck in some pretty unhealthy cycles.

A cycle is defined as a series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order. Because we as humans love repetition, it is very easy to get stuck in habits for so long that we begin to think they are a natural part of who we are. We can recognize that we’ve fallen into an unhealthy cycle, but oftentimes will remain there simply because it’s what we know and it feels familiar. Some of the cycles I have gone through have been me repeating unhealthy relationships, a poor diet, and even unhealthy thinking. While I knew these places weren’t good for me, they were familiar, and so I stayed much longer than I should have. Now, being at a place where I’m more self-aware, it’s easier for me to call myself out when I know the place I’m in isn’t serving me well.

Just recently I was having a conversation with a close friend who found herself “lurking” on social media (We’ve all been there.) Nothing good ever comes from lurking, because she stumbled across something that was hurtful for her to see. In that moment I shared with her my personal struggle of lurking for YEARS, and how getting in that unhealthy cycle caused me to create scenarios in my head based off what I’d found from someone’s social media. I shared with her how I had to literally disengage from social media for months at a time until I was able to be on there without feeling the need to lurk. Through prayer, intentionality, and people holding me accountable, that isn’t as big of a stronghold for me as it has been in the past.

It takes 21 days to form a habit. While making and breaking habits are not easy, if you put in the work it can be done. Start having conversations with yourself about what’s healthy and unhealthy in your life. Even take it a step further and get into the habit of asking yourself, “Does this support the life I’m trying to create?” If your answer is no, then put in the work to get out of those “cycles.”

Aaliyah Moore is a contributing writer for the Pedestal Project, LLC. Aaliyah enjoys spending time with her family and is a lover of food, writing, and Quartet Gospel music. She is a higher education professional and loves the impact she gets to make in the lives of college students, every day. You can follow her on Instagram @aaliyah.m.moore.