Good habits are worth being fanatical about.
– John Irving
Setting Free the Bears
Habit: n. – A shackle for the free.
– Ambrose Bierce
The Devil’s Dictionary
We have all (I am pretty sure) – made mistakes. Some of them big ones.
But –
It could well be … that ALL OUR GOOD CHOICES
AND
ALL OUR BAD CHOICES
Are less important
(have less impact on the quality of our life)
Than … OUR ROUTINE !
OUR HABITS … THE THINGS WE DO EVERY DAY … (and what we DON’T)
AND
OUR ASPIRATIONS.
Mmm?
Here are a few excerpts from Paper 100 of the Urantia Book; but I would recommend that you read the entire paper (particularly the final section (Sec, 7)
100:1.2 (1094.4) Some persons are too busy to grow and are therefore in grave danger of spiritual fixation. Provision must be made for growth of meanings at differing ages, in successive cultures, and in the passing stages of advancing civilization. The chief inhibitors of growth are prejudice and ignorance.
100:1.3 (1094.5) … Real educational growth is indicated by enhancement of ideals, increased appreciation of values, new meanings of values, and augmented loyalty to supreme values.
100:1.4 (1094.6) Children are permanently impressed only by the loyalties of their adult associates; precept or even example is not lastingly influential. Loyal persons are growing persons, and growth is an impressive and inspiring reality. Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself.
100:2.6 (1096.3) The goal of human self-realization should be spiritual, not material. The only realities worth striving for are divine, spiritual, and eternal. Mortal man is entitled to the enjoyment of physical pleasures and to the satisfaction of human affections; he is benefited by loyalty to human associations and temporal institutions; but these are not the eternal foundations upon which to build the immortal personality which must transcend space, vanquish time, and achieve the eternal destiny of divine perfection and finaliter service.
100:3.7 (1097.4) Man cannot cause growth, but he can supply favorable conditions. Growth is always unconscious, be it physical, intellectual, or spiritual. Love thus grows; it cannot be created, manufactured, or purchased; it must grow. Evolution is a cosmic technique of growth. Social growth cannot be secured by legislation, and moral growth is not had by improved administration. Man may manufacture a machine, but its real value must be derived from human culture and personal appreciation. Man’s sole contribution to growth is the mobilization of the total powers of his personality—living faith.
And I’d like to share with you (an excellent) video … on the power of habits … habits aligned with your Life Vision –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcFW5GIg2Do
It’s by Jon & Missy Butcher … who have been practicing their (carefully chosen … daily, weekly, and yearly) habits now for three decades.
Their habits support well-being and growth in (each of) the various areas of life –
Physical
Emotional
Career / (financial)
Mental and
Spiritual
They do physical exercise daily. Maybe only half an hour (or even ten minutes) … but they do it EVERY DAY.
To support their love relationship (with each other) they do a daily Connection Ritual. One hour – walking together, holding hands … and sharing with each other about their respective days.
And – once a week – they have an (overnight) date … no matter what, and no matter where they are in the world.
They do other things too. (Watch the video – it’s 10 ½ minutes)
Unavoidably … we’re going to have habits. We should choose the best ones we can come up with.
These virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions.
…we are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then is not an act but a habit.
– Aristotle (& Durant)
As Joey Klein says –
Love the life you live
Live the life you love.