Habits

Last weekend I lead a workshop with the title "Watch out, habits about". Here are a few thoughts about habits:

• Habits are neither good or bad - they're just habits. At some point whatever we are doing had some benefit to us or helped us in some way - even if it's not obvious how!
• A habit may no longer be useful to us and it may even be unhelpful now.
• We are usually unaware of our own habits.
• Other people's habits are much easier to see!
• A habit usually involves a compromise of some sort. If the habit no longer confers any benefit then we may be paying dearly for it.
• Our habits dictate our actions and our actions re-enforce our habits.
• We can't forceably change a habit. We have to become aware of it and understand it and then let it go.
• Don't replace the old habits for new ones; or take on someone else's habits; or rely on someone else's authority - find out the truth for yourself.
• Examining our habits can be difficult and there may be resistance to looking at them particularly where our identity is tied up with them.
• Habits exist in body, breath and mind.