How To Stop All Of Those Habits
Posted: Monday, February 02, 2009
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
The dictionary gives a number of meanings for the term "habit" and just about all of them are bad, or near bad. Not just addictions such as drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Everyone knows how dangerous those are. But one would be better off even without so called "good habits". Here are few definitions from Answers.com
1. A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition. (emphasis mine...jhh)
3. Customary manner or practice: a person of ascetic habits. An addiction, especially to a narcotic drug.
Let's say you drive to work every day, same route, same time, for many years. I drove 43 miles morning and afternoon for 11 years. It became so common place, I was so accustomed to it, I thought the car ought to make the proper turns and use it's correct blinker. No, seriously, it did simply become a habit. I made very few moves that were not sheer habit. But there were a few times when animals or other drivers drew me out of my trance, just in time to avoid them, when they came from nowhere, it seemed. I never had an accident with another vehicle during that time, but to my chagrin, I did hit a dog one morning before daylight, when it and several others ran across the road. (It apparently did not kill it, because it disappeared into the darkness with the others.)
I have others tell me that they were in a habit of contributing to some charity. That should never become habit. Each time one gives, it should be just like the first time, from the heart. And with the same enthusiasm.
But the changes one must make to break any habit, and that goes for addictions as well as just being accustomed to doing something a certain way, is to set your mind on the subject and determine that you will not continue the practice of some addiction and mean it. Most people are stubborn to a certain extent until it comes to their own satisfaction and then they have no will power or self control at all. Some will even say, I'm going to stop smoking, meaning all the while they will try. If "try" is in your thoughts when you make that decision, you are doomed for failure. But when you realize that you can buy a used car for what you spend on cigarettes for a year, coupled with a possible early death, it ought to cause you to stop.
Turning charitable contributions or other charitable activities, into an enjoyable fulfillment rather than just a commonplace thing, is much easier. It simply requires thinking about the good deed you are performing and the help, even joy, it may bring to the recipient. I am guilty of that myself. But most such activities in which I engage, are something that I am totally aware of what is being done by those recipients. I never contribute to the very large national or international organizations. I just don't feel as if a large percentage of the monies go to the cause in most of those.
I learned early on that specialization and repetition were the things which makes any production work much easier and faster. But, it is somewhat boring, very boring if the specialization means some small menial task. So if you do any production work with the same movements over and over, you become very good at what you are doing but to stay safe and perform well, one must never allow it to become automatic. You still need to concentrate on your every move, not what you plan to do when you get home this evening. It all boils down to the fact that one must concentrate on the proper things and not spend time "daydreaming". You can.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Good article. I see you tried to separate habit from addiction; as they might have the same mechanism but are really different things.Right on. Thanks for the comment, Gregory.I like your writings, Joel.Even though we have our religious differences, I went through your articles and I see you are very knowledgeable in many fields.You are a great asset to this website,sir.Thanks again Gregory.
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