We want to let go of negative patterns and adopt positive patterns. In Buddhism, this is called “right effort.” We’re going to abandon the negative behaviors, thought patterns, speech patterns—all that destructive behavior—and we’re going to cultivate positive patterns in our lives. It is through changing our thoughts, words, and deeds, rather than through God intervening and fixing our lives, that we are going to change our lives. By definition, we’re going to change ourselves. We’re going to become different people who operate differently because we think, speak, and act differently now.