They say, you should inculcate good habits in your routine and avoid bad habits. The objective intended behind this teaching may be that person should take right actions in life. But can you define right and wrong universally and for all times? is it not situation and time specific? Does it not mean that the decision needs to be taken considering the situation at the moment and not based on norms laid down by previous experiences. Yes, previous experiences helps. They act as guide in situations where we can't find a way. But they can't be decisive. The decision has to be taken by the person. And while taking decision, he can take assistance of past experiences, without affecting his decision making power; without being prejudiced by the fact that in past the experience had been in one direction.
Does it not mean that the person needs to be AWAKE and ALERT for the situation to take a decision. Now lets consider, what is habit (good or bad irrespective). Habit is a situation or phenomena, where person starts responding in same or similar way for similar situations for a number of instances and then the response become almost automated. Thus person's response is triggered by just even the hint of the situation.
Now, if we consider the state of mind with specific reference to the habit, existence of habit means that the person is not awake. Automated responses come only when person's system (mind body) is working without being noticed by HIM. Thus person is responding based on his previous experiences and not awake in the present moment.
Any habit is like blood pressure. High BP or bad habit is more dangerous than low BP or good habit. But basically, habits are dangerous. And habits have further adverse effect as one habit makes you to take unconscious action and the same thing starts repeating in other situations also. It is like virus.
Our effort should be not to inculcate any habit and to remove existing habits if there are any. now what does it mean. It is not a weed, which can be removed just like that. What is required is to understand the whole programming. It is important to know the thought process that goes in between the stimulus and the response. If we are able to see that whole process, we shall not jump on response just by the trigger, rather, we shall be able to redirect our thoughts as per the situation at the moments.
Now, how can we start. We can start with small things. We all are a bunch of habits. Just see, what we do from morning till we sleep. How many things, we remember doing consciously. Do we know how did we brush teeth, or shaved or took bath.
All out actions are habituated. Same actions are being repeated number of times. Same patterns are created. Mind becomes comfortable with the pattern and so we become more and more unconscious about our actions.
These patterns need to broken. So let's take new actions. Let's do new things, more challenging things. Let's do things in more conscious way. How can we do things in more conscious way - by doing the same thing in different manner. For example, use left hand for brushing teeth, if you have been using right. Use stairs for some of the floors at least, if you have been using lift.
Whenever, you feel that life is going in routine, change something. It can be anything and may be as small as ironing your clothes, even when it can be got done outside.
It is very important to break habit patterns. If habits start governing life (as it does in most people's life and for great part of life for most of us), it should be taken as a warning for internal cancer. It is killing us. What is the difference between a dead and alive body. Dead body cannot do anything at its own, while alive body can. Now, if we are being governed by others (and our programming system of habits comes under 'others'), we are dead. We have life only when we do what we want to do. So let's break all habits and explore new world. Lets bring LIFE and in our lives.
Does it not mean that the person needs to be AWAKE and ALERT for the situation to take a decision. Now lets consider, what is habit (good or bad irrespective). Habit is a situation or phenomena, where person starts responding in same or similar way for similar situations for a number of instances and then the response become almost automated. Thus person's response is triggered by just even the hint of the situation.
Now, if we consider the state of mind with specific reference to the habit, existence of habit means that the person is not awake. Automated responses come only when person's system (mind body) is working without being noticed by HIM. Thus person is responding based on his previous experiences and not awake in the present moment.
Any habit is like blood pressure. High BP or bad habit is more dangerous than low BP or good habit. But basically, habits are dangerous. And habits have further adverse effect as one habit makes you to take unconscious action and the same thing starts repeating in other situations also. It is like virus.
Our effort should be not to inculcate any habit and to remove existing habits if there are any. now what does it mean. It is not a weed, which can be removed just like that. What is required is to understand the whole programming. It is important to know the thought process that goes in between the stimulus and the response. If we are able to see that whole process, we shall not jump on response just by the trigger, rather, we shall be able to redirect our thoughts as per the situation at the moments.
Now, how can we start. We can start with small things. We all are a bunch of habits. Just see, what we do from morning till we sleep. How many things, we remember doing consciously. Do we know how did we brush teeth, or shaved or took bath.
All out actions are habituated. Same actions are being repeated number of times. Same patterns are created. Mind becomes comfortable with the pattern and so we become more and more unconscious about our actions.
These patterns need to broken. So let's take new actions. Let's do new things, more challenging things. Let's do things in more conscious way. How can we do things in more conscious way - by doing the same thing in different manner. For example, use left hand for brushing teeth, if you have been using right. Use stairs for some of the floors at least, if you have been using lift.
Whenever, you feel that life is going in routine, change something. It can be anything and may be as small as ironing your clothes, even when it can be got done outside.
It is very important to break habit patterns. If habits start governing life (as it does in most people's life and for great part of life for most of us), it should be taken as a warning for internal cancer. It is killing us. What is the difference between a dead and alive body. Dead body cannot do anything at its own, while alive body can. Now, if we are being governed by others (and our programming system of habits comes under 'others'), we are dead. We have life only when we do what we want to do. So let's break all habits and explore new world. Lets bring LIFE and in our lives.
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