Is Your Response to Life A Habit?

Your girlfriend doesn’t call you, and you feel rejected. 

You feel disrespected every time your spouse leaves the toilet seat up. 

You’re irritated when your kid doesn’t clean up her room. 

You feel judged when “that person” speaks to you in that tone of voice. 

You feel misunderstood because your dad still doesn’t understand you. 

You feel overwhelmed because emails keep filling your inbox. 

You feel powerless when you think the government isn’t doing its job the way you think it should. 

You’re peeved because your significant other leaves her shoes in your way - Every. Single. Time. 

You’re annoyed at the incompetent waiter because…well, why not be?

It’s Monday – you feel slightly depressed. 

There’s traffic, so of course you’re aggravated.

It’s raining, you feel blah. 

It’s 10:00 a.m. – you need a double-shot triple-x caffeine boost.

You’re infuriated every time your dog barks at the moon. 

You get jealous when you see dude down the street driving yet another new car that you think he doesn’t need.

You feel insecure when you try something new. 

You feel injustice when you think about the cost of things you want to buy that you can’t afford.

You feel lack when you spend money - or when you're about to spend money.

You’re pissed every time some bloke cuts you off in traffic. 

You’re provoked every morning you drive to work because there’s another f*ckin’ traffic jam. 

You’re grouchy when you think about what needs to get done. 

You feel guilty because you’re working instead of being with your kid or playing when you think you should be working. 

You’re resentful because your mama never loved you. 

You hate going to work, because you don’t think you should have to work. 

You feel unworthy because you’re not working. 

You blame your husband, wife, kid, employee, boss, neighbor, fella on the bus, or lady next to you when they do something you don’t like. 

You’re cantankerous because something isn’t put back where it belongs. 

If your computer takes more than three blinks of an eye to provide you with information, you want to throw it across the room.   

You don’t get your way so you manipulate, blame, yell, throw, stomp, run, or…give the silent treatment.

Long list, I know.  I’m sure I missed a few. 

Does any of this sound familiar? 

Right about now, you’re probably thinking, “Oh, I know somebody who does that.”

Ok, got it.  But what about you? 

Are you in the habit of reacting to things out of habit?  (Yes, I meant to ask that question in that way).

Are there people, subjects, conditions, things or circumstances where you react the same way – hands-down-someone-could-bet-on-it-and-win every time? 

Are you responding to life out of habit? 

Most of your thoughts are habits. 

Most of your behaviors are habits. 

Most of your approaches to life are habits. 

Most of your beliefs are habits. 

Most of how you feel about the things you feel about is a habit.

You do what’s familiar, what you know, and what you’ve always done just because that’s what you do. 

Not only do you know yourself to be this way, so does everyone who knows you. 

You approach life from the same vantage point as before. 

You think the same thoughts today as you did yesterday.

Your beliefs stray not-so-far from what they’ve always been which means neither do your expectations.

Unless....

You make new decisions.

Unless…

You start approaching your life based on how it feels.

Unless…

You care about feeling good.

Your approach to anything isn’t wrong, but it is amendable.

Your beliefs are not lies because you believe them – but could you believe something else?

Recurring thoughts are just a habit. 

Recurring emotions are a habit of perceiving consistently through the same lens.  

All habits are changeable.  

You’re constantly evolving.  Nothing need be as it’s always been just because it’s always been. That would be like asking a kid not to grow. 

At the heart of any habit is a practiced and familiar feeling. 

You can modify behavior, but without modifying how you feel, your behavior or reaction will revert to where your propensity is – which is the habit. 

If you don’t change how you feel, the habit will be hard to change. 

To feel differently, you must change your perception.

Nothing is unchangeable because your perspective is changeable – about everything.    

We all have habits of feeling as we respond to our lives. 

Decide today that you do have a choice and decide whether or not your familiar habits are how you want to continue to react and feel.  

You can find yourself transforming your approach to life by making that decision today.