Which way will you go?
Today has been a feel good Sunday. I started the day by finishing another book about happiness, What Happy Women Know, then spent the rest of the morning on a beautiful hike in the woods with Marta and Mozart and then having delicious smoothies downtown at Green Sage. After that, I came home to do my typical Sunday cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping before Chris, Mozart and I headed to Biltmore for an evening stroll. Now I’m home with two quiches in the oven and spaghetti sauce on the stove top. Yum!
When I was cleaning today I went to the linen closet to get the toilet bowl cleaner and it wasn’t there. I stood there for a moment wondering where it might be. Then I remembered I had moved it under the sink in the bathroom.
That experience made me remember that sometimes our habits overrule our knowledge. I knew somewhere in my mind that I had moved the cleaner, but my habit took me to the hall closet first. It’s not just the bathroom cleaner that I’ve temporarily lost this way. Just ask my husband!
This habit over knowledge rule applies elsewhere in life too. Think about people who KNOW they should recycle, but have the habit of just throwing everything away. Or what about addicts who KNOW they shouldn’t have another cigarette, but have the habit of lighting up after every meal. We would all benefit from working to change our not-so-positive habits in order to be happier and more fulfilled. Creating a habit takes time (some say 21-30 days) and persistence. Especially at first, you may slip up and “forget” your new habit. Did you know it takes the average smoker 11 times to finally quit?
Because new habits change our lives, we have to really love ourselves through the process. Use visualization to see yourself easily and effortlessly engaging in your new habit and have friends or family keep you accountable. Anything we choose can become a habit. For me, writing this blog daily has become a habit, as has writing in my journal. The best way to change is to take small, incremental steps towards your goal.
Happiness is a habit we can all form and benefit from. Check out this website for some tips on how to make happiness more of a habit in your life. What new habit do you want to create? Or what bad habit do you want to stop? I want to break my habit of moving things in my house and not remembering where they are!
Choose to be your happiest and best self!
Filed under: A Day in My Life, Advice for a Happy Life!, Inspiration Tagged: | a teacher's guide to happiness, adair cates, feel good, follow the feeling, habits, happiness, happy, happy teachers, Inspiration, intention, intentions, joy, knowledge, law of attraction, live with intention, teacher happiness, unhappy teachers
