Force of Habit
Just over five years ago I created a new habit.
I decided, and chose, every week to write a series of ‘insights’ of which this is number 280.
I didn’t write them in bulk because I wanted them to be what I was inspired (what came in to my spirit) to write at the time.
Habit is a curious thing.
Once formed they act as a control, even an operating system, managing what we do on a regular basis.
You and I ‘get into the habit’ of doing certain things, thinking certain things, in a certain way at a certain interval.
We like habits precisely because they give us this ‘certainty’.
Habits are what you and I do regardless of others’ judgement of them being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – and of course sometimes we perceive our own habits in this way
You and I have our own ‘good’ and ‘bad’ habits – even though we often deny those we or others perceive to be ‘bad’.
They are like rules – rules we’ve made for ourselves.
We are ‘creatures of habit’ and we follow those rules come what may.
They govern a large proportion of what we do: when we go to bed, when we get up, when we have meals and what we eat, which direction we choose when we park our car, which shops we frequent – and so on, and on.
Until.
Until we suddenly realise, for one reason or another, our habits are restricting our freedom.
Have you noticed when you go on holiday your daily routine changes?
Our ‘freedom paradigms’ change when on holiday and often they change at ‘weekends’.
We have different sets of rules, different habits we’ve created for ourselves to suit different occasions, but we still have different behaviour patterns for home, work, weekends, holidays and whatever else we do.
What would it be like if we dropped all those habits?
Would we then get into the ‘habit’ of making sure each day we did something different from yesterday?
You and I don’t consciously create habits to restrict or personal freedom, but it is what we do.
Or is it?
Perhaps freedom and habit are two sides of the same coin.
You and I are free to create whatever habits we like, we are free to create our own rules, but – we mustn’t forget we are also free to break our own rules and change our habits whenever we see fit.
Most people don’t ‘get’ this – most people don’t ‘get’ freedom.
They don’t understand what it is, they think they know, but really they don’t.
What’s your perception of freedom? (Do please reply to this)
I am changing a habit right now.
This habit.
My mission is to help as many people as I can, one by one, fully understand Freedom and how they, personally, can find it in reality.
I am creating The Freedom Academy.
I don’t know all the answers, I’m not the ‘authority on freedom’, but over the past few years I’ve come to understand it much better than I have in the past.
I need your help
This is the last ‘Wednesday Insight’ as such. Now I’ll be writing monthly ‘The Freedom Letter’ which will be more detailed and cover specific aspects of freedom.
Meanwhile, I’ll be asking some short simple questions, to discover your ‘take’ on Freedom.
What it means to you and how ‘free’ you feel.
Join me in The Freedom Academy. Together we can, as they say, ‘make a difference’ and help others find their ‘personal freedom identity’.
Meanwhile, thank you for ‘listening’ over the past five years.
Best Wishes
Ben Coker
The Freedom Coach