NOT TO MEND ONE’S WAYS WHEN ONE HAS ERRED IS TO ERR INDEED. – CONFUCIUS ADMIT IT: INSIGHTS AND WILL POWER ARE NO MATCH FOR
ADMIT IT: INSIGHTS AND WILL POWER ARE NO MATCH FOR LONG-TERM HABIT PATTERNS. WE HAVE TO BE MORE CLEVER THAN TRYING TO APPLY TEMPORARY MOTIVATIONAL TECHNIQUES IF WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SERIOUS HEADWAY IN OUR STRUGGLES WITH DESTRUCTIVE LONG-TERM HABITS.
COULD YOU EVEN BEGIN TO COUNT HOW MANY A-HA! MOMENTS YOU’VE HAD IN THIS LIFE? THOSE MOMENTS OF REVELATION IN WHICH YOU THOUGHT YOU SAW CLEARLY WHY YOU WERE BEHAVING OR ACTING IN A CERTAIN WAY AND THEN PERHAPS EVEN SWEARING THAT THIS NEW INSIGHT WAS GOING TO BE A DEFINITE GAME-CHANGER.
HABIT PATTERNS ARE UNCONSCIOUS REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS, AND EVEN WHEN YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE CONSCIOUS OF THEM AND YOU HAVE THEM UNDER CONTROL – STILL AT TIMES YOU RETURN TO THE DETRIMENTAL DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR OFTEN EVEN WHILE KNOWING THAT YOU SHOULDN’T BE DOING THIS OR THAT.
GAIN RESPECT FOR THE POWER OF THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND PLEASE
WHEN YOU HAVE PROFOUND INSIGHTS, TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY – REMEMBER TO WRITE THEM DOWN AND THEN DO THIS….
1.) PREPARE FOR THE BATTLE WITHIN: RECOGNIZE WHICH HABIT PATTERN OR HABIT PATTERNS YOUR INSIGHTS ARE GOING TO RUN UP AGAINST
2.) SEE IF YOU’RE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE WHICH PERSONALITY PATTERNS ARE INVOLVED SUCH AS CAREGIVER, ABANDONMENT, REBEL ETC. (SEEK ASSISTANCE IF YOU’RE UNSURE AS THIS IS ALL-IMPORTANT).
3.) CHECK YOUR LEVEL OF COMMITMENT/INTENTION EACH DAY – MANY PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO STOP THEIR HABIT, BUT AREN’T PREPARED TO GIVE UP THE THINGS THAT MAKE THEM SICK. ARE YOU WILLING TO DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM TRIGGERS AND PERSONAL ASSOCIATIONS THAT SABOTAGE OR
IMPEDE YOUR PROGRESS? IF NOT, YOU’RE NOT READY YET. (AND NEVER BLAME A PERSON OR AN ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR BEHAVIORS AS IT IS YOUR LEVEL OF AWARENESS THAT IS THE REAL ISSUE).
4.) WITH THE PERSPECTIVE AND SERIOUSNESS OF THE ABOVE WE CAN NOW GET STARTED IN EARNEST: WRITE OUT A SPECIFIC GOAL(S) IN A JOURNAL IN THE SIMPLEST FORM POSSIBLE – THAT WILL FURTHER YOUR INSIGHT AND WILL WORK AGAINST THE UNDERLYING DESTRUCTIVE HABIT OR BEHAVIOR. NO MORE THAN THREE GOALS OVER THREE MONTHS PLEASE.
5.) WRITE OUT THE SPECIFIC SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM CHANGES YOU’LL HAVE TO MAKE TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS. ANY FOOL CAN MAKE GOALS, BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO MAKE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES TO ACCOMPLISH THEM.
6.) WRITE DOWN WHICH KNOWN OBSTACLES YOU WILL BE FACING.
7.) KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL. WRITE DOWN THREE GRATITUDES FIRST THING IN THE MORNING REGARDING PATH AND PURPOSE IN YOUR LIFE, INCLUDING YOUR NEW INSIGHT GOALS THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO APPLY CONSCIOUSLY. WRITE DOWN THREE MORE GRATITUDES BEFORE SLEEPING – SPECIFICALLY FROM THIS DAY – THINGS THAT YOU’RE GRATEFUL FOR. NEVER USE SARCASM.
8.) JOURNAL EMOTIONAL INVENTORY SCORES EACH DAY 0-10 TRACKING ANGER, ANXIETY, GUILT, DEPRESSION, JEALOUSY AND BUSYNESS SCORES EVERY 24 HOURS AS MOST HABITS RETURN WHEN YOUR UNDER EMOTIONAL DURESS AND BUSY. TRACKING THESE SCORES WILL HELP TO MAKE YOU CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF HOW YOU’RE FEELING WHICH IS YOUR BEST DEFENSE AGAINST THE RETURN OF UNCONSCIOUS HABITS. AS PART OF THIS EXERCISE- WRITE DOWN YOUR SPECIFIC AVOIDANCE AND ESCAPE BEHAVIORS – THE THINGS THAT YOU DO TO AVOID FEELING THE WAY YOU DO.
9.) BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. PLAN OUT SPECIFIC REWARDS AND CONSEQUENCES FOR MAINTAINING YOUR GOALS AND INSIGHTS THAT YOU PROMISE TO APPLY. DON’T JUDGE YOURSELF FOR MISTAKES MADE, CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS ONLY. FIND A CONFIDANT AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU’RE WORKING ON – IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A WITNESS OR SUPPORT AND TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT WITH THEM. IT WOULD BE OPTIMAL IF YOU CAN CHECK IN WITH THEM DAILY. ANOTHER WONDERFUL WITNESS TO HAVE IN YOUR LIFE IS A BELIEF IN A POWER GREATER THAN YOU AND TO UTILIZE THE POWER OF PRAYER OR AFFIRMATION.
AN ADDENDUM TO THIS IS FOR BEST RESULTS ALSO EXERCISE AT LEAST FIVE TIMES A WEEK (DOCTOR SUPERVISED IF NECESSARY) AND CUT SUGAR AND PROCESSED FOODS FROM YOUR DIET).
10.) FORGIVENESS. YOU WILL LIKELY FALL BACK A NUMBER OF TIMES. IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR AND NOT JUDGE YOURSELF. CATCH YOURSELF AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE – FORGIVE YOURSELF – YOU ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS, GET BACK ON YOUR FEET AND SIMPLY SHAKE IT OFF AND BEGIN AGAIN. REMEMBER THAT HABIT PATTERNS ARE LIKELY TO STAY IN THE RECESSES OF YOUR UNCONSCIOUS MIND FOR THE REMAINDER OF YOUR LIFE – YOUR BEST DEFENSE IS CONSTANT APPLICATION OF INSIGHT. HYPNOSIS CAN ALSO BE A POWERFUL TOOL WHEN WORKING WITH UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIORS AND PATTERNS.
AND FINALLY, THE MOST IMPORTANT ANTIDOTE I SAVED FOR LAST…AT LEAST TWENTY MINUTES A DAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE OF A VERY SPECIFIC TYPE OF MEDITATION – MINDFULNESS MEDITATION. IT IS VITAL THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO OBSERVE PASSING THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, AND SENSATIONS SUCH AS CRAVING AND GRASPING WITHOUT ATTACHMENT. TO COMPLETELY CUT THE CORD OF EVERY SINGLE DESTRUCTIVE HABIT PATTERN, YOU MUST RECEIVE THE POINTING-OUT INSTRUCTIONS ON THE NON-DUAL NATURE OF MIND.
MAY AWARENESS RECOGNIZE YOU AS THE LIGHT IN ITSELF, AND MAY YOUR MIND EXPERIENCE IMMEASURABLE AND LIMITLESS HAPPINESS, WELL-BEING, SAFETY, PEACEFULNESS AND EASE.
– MICHAEL GREGORY
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