We all know of actions, habits, or attitudes that don’t quite turn out the way we had hoped. Sometimes, we buy things we don’t really need. And that pizza was so delicious that you just have to eat another slice. Now, there’s nothing wrong with shopping or eating or many other choices. In fact, there are lots of choices we make over and over again; yet we’re often baffled when we’re a few dollars short, or a few pounds over where we’d like to be. Or when our relationships are consistently disappointing. This is true of virtually everyone; and it’s equally true that most of these results come as a surprise to us. It’s a foible of human nature to repeat actions, habits or attitudes, even though they don’t give us the results we want. Life is like a river that keeps flowing, and we’re often so busy paddling that we don’t see the patterns in our actions and habits until there’s a big enough problem to get our attention. The philosopher, Jorge Santayana, might have had human nature in mind when he said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” But the good news is that we need not continue to be disappointed. Awareness is the key, and sometimes even small changes are enough to break the cycle and create lasting improvements in our lives. This painting was created to celebrate that positive change, in a tangible and visible way. Every time you look at it, you'll know that you're no longer trapped in a repeating pattern. You're moving forward to claim the future you've always wanted.