Drawing Patterns

Ever heard people say that a particular number is their lucky number?

Lucky numbers trace their origins back to China, where the number 8 holds the meaning of property and wealth, while number 6 brings good fortune and good luck. Psychology says that the concept of lucky numbers arose simply because the human brain is wired to learn and act upon patterns that we come across in our cultures or everyday experiences.

Most of us probably know that the number 7 is universally lucky, as it manifests itself in many aspects of our life- there are 7 days in the week, there are 7 planets around our Sun, many cultures interpret that the world was created in 7 days and there are 7 wonders of the ancient and modern worlds each- all of this being just a few recurring occurrences of the number 7. There are a multitude of quizzes and games curated to finding a unique lucky number for people based on their name, date of birth and other similar details that are connected to different numbers of the number system which we often play with friends and family to have a fun time, or simply out of curiosity about which number is considered lucky for us.

Photo Credit- Google Images

The baseline of all of this is the fact that since the start of the story of human history, humans are wired to create and follow patterns and routines that we build for ourselves and into our social structures that we call societies. We notice how the number 7 appears in many places- there we identify a pattern. New behaviors and actions that we do outside the patterns we have identified and constructed seem out of place, and are considered patterns of their own, or 'unruly', 'unlike us'.

It makes you wonder how easily humans are also vulnerable to falling into routines, and how something that seemed so new and exciting in the beginning when we knew nothing about it automatically becomes a routine or mundane to us. It is these very routines, however, that make up most of our lives and build the foundation and discipline that brings success in our journey. Oftentimes though, a lot of us fall into these routines and keep walking down a straight road without looking to the sides, unwavering.

Photo by me!

Moments that fall outside this routine, like unexpected opportunities, downfalls, times of happiness and surprise- like irregularities in a pattern that give the pattern its uniqueness and beauty. Realizing that the curves and turns of the seemingly straight road that we walk our whole lives are what make the road beautiful and interesting is something that I am only beginning to understand. It's not that our routines, or the regular strokes and designs of a pattern are not the interesting part- it's to realize that the irregularities and parts of the pattern that stand out, the moments outside our routine that are brought by the universe's nature of unpredictability and spontaneity are what color our routines and are the places which we utilize to truly work hard, shine and create an exhilarating difference in our lives as well as the lives of others. Each one of us is a part of the pattern in all our lives, directly or indirectly, and it is thrilling to know that we hold in our hands the tool to create them!