The Return of Old Patterns

Hi my name is Liesl and I am a recovering Hustler Bustler.

The phrase "hustler bustler" is not a standard English idiom, but the words hustler and bustler are similar in meaning, describing a person who is energetic and constantly active.

Hustler - (in the positive context - I'm not talking gangster scammy hustler) is an enterprising, ambitious, and energetic person who is determined to succeed.

Bustler - is a person who is very active and full of energy and is constantly on the move and getting things done.

I think I have spent most of my life moving at a fast pace… like unreasonably fast.

I am definitely not a ‘window shopper’. I’m more of a ‘I know what I need to get, I have memorized the store layout and I am in and out as quickly as possible’ kind of person! Contact me for tips on duck and weave techniques while shopping at Costco… I promise to reduce your shopping time by at least 25%!!!

Hustling & bustling has had its advantages… I could get a lot done in half the time and therefore have time to do more things! But it also had many disadvantages… I didn’t take the time to appreciate things in my environment, I took on too many projects and tended to run myself into an exhausted state of being.

I met Marnie when I was starting to have hip issues that eventually resulted in surgery. I didn’t know her very well yet but I clearly remember her saying, without making eye contact and trying to be all cool about it, … “Maybe, just maybe, the pain in your hip is a sign for you to slow down. Just throwing it out there for you to think about’!

Thanks for that Marnie 🙄 If that isn’t a statement that sends you down multiple energetic mind-blowing rabbit holes!

Well, hip surgery did slow me down… a little bit! Apparently that lesson wasn’t quite enough for me to change my ways so my brain and body really hit me with a double whammy and I was forced to a complete stop.

This event definitely changed the trajectory of my life and made me slow down and value the people and things in my space. And gave me the time and energy to work on myself and provide much needed self care.

But as I heal, I am finding myself slipping into some old patterns. I am starting to move at top speed again, getting frustrated when things aren’t moving fast enough, body parts are starting to ache and… I am starting to feel so tired and exhausted.

Old behaviours and patterns have a sneaky way of showing up just when we think we’ve outgrown them. They arrive dressed a little differently… maybe as “motivation” or “momentum” but underneath, they still carry the same old wiring… the need to prove, to fix, to do more.

I am trying to remind myself that progress doesn’t always come from pushing harder… sometimes it comes from allowing space. From pausing long enough to feel my breath, to notice the way the light hits the leaves, to actually savour my beloved and life-giving coffee instead of gulping it down between tasks.

The same drive that once burned me out can now fuel me differently… if I let it.

… “if I let it”

Yes, I am recognizing the symptoms of my ‘hustler-bustler’ trying to make a comeback much faster than I have done in the past, but I am still waiting till I am in pain and exhausted before the signal in my brain kicks in to slow down and take care of myself.

Maybe it is time to practice what I preach … Breathe. Observe. Apply. Love.

Sounds like a promotion (and it totally is) but man … the method we developed works so well and can get me back on track and my pain in check in no time at all!

I think the truth is… old patterns don’t just disappear. They wait patiently in the background, ready to step in when life gets busy or uncertain. They’re familiar and they feel productive.

But what I’m learning, slowly and stubbornly, is that awareness changes everything. Each time I catch myself rushing, holding my breath, or filling every spare moment with doing, I get another chance to choose differently.

One deep breath at a time, I can interrupt the cycle. One mindful pause, one compassionate thought, one small act of self-kindness… that’s the real reprogramming.

If you’re curious about that Breathe. Observe. Apply. Love. method I mentioned… well, that’s part of what we teach at The Breath Connection and an integral part of our upcoming Functional Healing course. We teach YOU how to heal YOU … by using your breath as a tool for healing and awareness and coming back to balance when old patterns try to take the wheel again.

Click here to get a free pdf explaining Our Healing Method!

So here’s to all of us recovering Hustler Bustlers out there… remembering to breathe before we burn out, talk to ourselves with kindness and compassion and to move with intention rather than urgency, grace without grind.

Stop, take a deep breath, and remember… we don’t have to hustle to heal.