Not all habits are created equal. The habit of who we are is comprised of all of the things we need to live our lives and in some cases those which are no longer necessary.
All habits are learned and acquired behaviors. They can start consciously or oftentimes unconsciously becoming habits before we even realize.
Our habits become so comfortable as a part of who we are, we can overlook certain ones which have ceased being useful.
A habit is a decision that you made at some point, then stopped making but continued acting on it ~ Charles Duhigg
Our brains record everything which has ever happened in our lives, thus forming our attitudes. Our attitudes influence our behaviors which become our personal reality. These behaviors become the habit of who we are.
The habit of who we are is not the same as other habits. We think who we are is outside of our control. It isn’t.
If we no longer like our personal reality, we can change our behaviors. It requires an attitude adjustment.
The clues to the habit of who we are lay in the phrases we repeat to ourselves or those, others repeat about us. “I always have been this way”, “That’s who I am”. “Don’t bother, that’s how she always acts”. “Don’t mind me that’s how I do things”. etc.
Personally, I am a creature of habit. I like to use the same coffee cup. I like to park in the same area of the parking lot at my local stores. I use the same gas station when I can. I feed the animals about the same time with the same routine.
Some habits are not bad. They create stability and framework to our day to day lives. The habits which are no longer useful are the ones which are not moving us forward in becoming our best selves.
To break any habit including the ones we think make up the core of who we are, take time. How long? Some say it takes 21 days others say 40. Regardless, it takes as long as it takes.
9 Habits Worth Breaking
- Making excuses
- Yea, but… syndrome
- Blaming others
- Justification
- Over Reacting
- Laziness
- Lack of hygiene
- Self Centeredness
- Bullying
To Let Go of anything which no longer serves our lives happens when we can no longer accept how things are. Indications of what is no longer working come in the form of friction, drama, doors closing, the tension in relationships, feeling angry, disheartened, and frustrated.
In order to make a change, we have to take action. It can be a quiet action. Little by little you wake up your consciousness. No announcements to the world need to be made, for the journey is personal.
Keep your journey close to your heart and you will wake up one day forgetting how you once were, for the habit of who you are has transformed.
“You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”– A.A. Milne