Repetition creates habit. The more you do something, the more ingrained it becomes. It starts to become automatic and unconscious.
This has its negative side (we can slip into self-destructive behaviours if we’re not careful). But it also has a positive side (we can actually choose the repetitive actions/thoughts/words that we want to turn into automatic reflexes).
At the start of 2019 I began basing the theme of the podcast around a simple word each week.
This week it’s ‘Repetition’. Last time it was ‘Competition‘. And a few weeks back it was ‘Solitude‘. I have found this a really creative and intuitive way to develop ideas. And it has thrown all kinds of surprises my way, with topics taking unexpected turns and pulling me in directions I hadn’t anticipated.

What Have I Written?
I pick a topic from my list, free-write around it, and then take a look at what I’ve written. That is pretty weird, but also incredibly liberating and insightful.
“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” – Flannery O’Connor
That quote has always resonated deeply with me.
I used the idea of theme words and took it over to The Haven earlier this year, where we’ve been exploring things like Compassion, Narcissism, and Gentleness. But as I was planning the next few months I had a bit of an ‘aha!’ moment. The word ‘Liturgical’ occupied my mind, and a bunch of words sprung forth as I processed the responses to a recent survey I conducted asking members about their struggles and challenges.
‘Liturgical’ is often synonymous with religious practice. It’s the words spoken during rituals. As well as the calendar of tradition and festivity throughout the year. It’s why we might know the words of the Eucharist, Funeral or Wedding ceremony, or what is often spoken at Christmas time. Liturgy is repetition. And repetition takes something from a place of conscious unknowing, into a place of unconscious knowledge.
When it comes to self-development, we can learn a lot from the idea of liturgical structure. And this is what landed in my planning for the next season in The Haven. In fact, I didn’t just plan the next month or two. I planned the next year. And from there I realised that the liturgical, repetitive calendar, never needs to stop. There is always more to learn, grow, and develop within these key themes.
Change
We all have it in our power to design a life of meaning and purpose, actively and intentionally growing the areas that matter most to us.
“Every passing moment is a chance to turn it all around.” – Sofia (Vanilla Sky)
Whatever has happened in the past, however things have gone, whatever you’ve done, the future is yet to be written.
You have the opportunity to stop the drift by taking even the smallest action to turn it all around and start moving in the direction you want your life to go.
Belonging
Belonging starts within you. It begins with integrity. Integrating your values, hopes, and sense of passion, with the things you do, the way you engage with others, and the words that come from your mouth.
Loneliness is the cause of so many destructive patterns of behaviours. When we feel alienated and like we don’t fit in.
But when we find belonging. Both within ourselves, and within a healthy community of people, we can truly transform the world in positive ways, from the inside out.
Serenity
We find serenity in self-understanding and self-acceptance.
When you accept yourself, even with all your imperfections, blemishes, and flaws, you become an unstoppable powerhouse of serenity that can no longer be blown off course when the storms come…which t...