(4) Habit - Circles
Recognise that your habits go around in closed cycles of repetitive thoughts and actions – some emotionally hindering, some helpful. Say these words aloud: “if you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”
You have the power to determine which habits to bid farewell as you break free of the circular path and introduce stimulating new experiences.
"We are all creatures of habit" is a popular saying. Psychological studies suggest that habit is stronger than the desire for improvement. If so, it takes willpower and courage to change habits that no longer serve your purpose.
Yet this is undoubtedly an emotionally intelligent responsibility to yourself and your loved ones. Adopting healthy new habits has long-term benefits even if, in the short term, you feel uneasy and struggle to maintain equilibrium.
Most of us have a few poor-quality habits which we know, in our heart of hearts, deter opportunities for new experiences. These are familiar habit patterns - some helpful but some hindering - which lead to emotionally-reactive behaviour.
Your challenge is to recognise which habits need to stay and which need to go. Obviously your habits are entirely personal to you, so the following guidance acts only as a general catalytic lens through which to view your life choices.
You are hereby encouraged to examine your attitude towards any hindering habits e.g. negative thinking, making uninformed assumptions, dwelling in the past, gossiping, being indecisive or easily swayed by others.
How about lack of exercise, too much screen time, clutter chaos, habitual lateness, repeatedly diving into the biscuit tin without a moment’s thought, saying ‘yes’ to keep everybody happy. Can you identify a habit or two you would like to be rid of?
A practical way to break a habit is to ‘choose on purpose’ to try something specific that is different and find the courage to stick with it, even
if to start with, the new something is just a mere distraction.
Because it is difficult to modify habits by reasoning alone, it helps to do something physical
like taking a practice 'walk for thought'. You can experiment and see what
happens.
According to research, it takes at least 21 days to break an ingrained
behaviour habit, so go easy on yourself if you find you are back-sliding.
Are you willing to adopt fresh healthy practices that embrace change and take effective enjoyable steps to support life-affirming habits? Please say ‘yes’!
This Rune is a member of
The Perseverance Set which comprises tenacious qualities for harnessing your utmost determination, time and time again, to stay on track.
"Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future." Alice Walker
Return to Interpretations
Yet this is undoubtedly an emotionally intelligent responsibility to yourself and your loved ones. Adopting healthy new habits has long-term benefits even if, in the short term, you feel uneasy and struggle to maintain equilibrium.
Most of us have a few poor-quality habits which we know, in our heart of hearts, deter opportunities for new experiences. These are familiar habit patterns - some helpful but some hindering - which lead to emotionally-reactive behaviour.
Your challenge is to recognise which habits need to stay and which need to go. Obviously your habits are entirely personal to you, so the following guidance acts only as a general catalytic lens through which to view your life choices.
You are hereby encouraged to examine your attitude towards any hindering habits e.g. negative thinking, making uninformed assumptions, dwelling in the past, gossiping, being indecisive or easily swayed by others.
How about lack of exercise, too much screen time, clutter chaos, habitual lateness, repeatedly diving into the biscuit tin without a moment’s thought, saying ‘yes’ to keep everybody happy. Can you identify a habit or two you would like to be rid of?
A practical way to break a habit is to ‘choose on purpose’ to try something specific that is different and find the courage to stick with it, even if to start with, the new something is just a mere distraction.
Because it is difficult to modify habits by reasoning alone, it helps to do something physical like taking a practice 'walk for thought'. You can experiment and see what happens.
According to research, it takes at least 21 days to break an ingrained behaviour habit, so go easy on yourself if you find you are back-sliding.
Are you willing to adopt fresh healthy practices that embrace change and take effective enjoyable steps to support life-affirming habits? Please say ‘yes’!
This Rune is a member of The Perseverance Set which comprises tenacious qualities for harnessing your utmost determination, time and time again, to stay on track.
"Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future." Alice Walker
Return to Interpretations