Q: Dear Todd, I feel like in my case, the subconscious patterns, regardless of which life they come from, seem to be more powerful than the conscious ones. Becoming fully aware of them after many repetitive cycles is one step. What would be the next step to ‘overcome’ and rebuild them?

TODD ANSWERS: Subconscious patterns are deeply ingrained mental habits, so we need to treat them accordingly. Like any habit we’re giving up, we need to do two things.

1) Maintain vigilance. Practice staying aware of your thoughts. Notice on a deep and subconscious level how thoughts are always changing, always jumping onto new topics, and how there’s no reason to latch onto any train of thought. When your mind gets tense, engage in relaxing activities.

Don’t wait until it gets out of hand and you fall back into old patterns. The more you practice vigilant awareness, the less time it takes you to catch yourself reliving old cycles. Eventually, that gap of time between an unconscious reaction and a conscious response will disappear. Put all of your energy into this moment and your higher self will guide you.

2) Replace the old way with a new way. Don’t just run away from your past; run toward a brighter future. Visualize often and consistently how you would respond to difficult situations. The more you make positive visualization a habit, the less power old habits will have over you.