Monday, April 30, 2007

Quotes that struck me today

We don't see things as they are, but as we are.-Anais Nin
The world is our mirror.


Never grow a wishbone where your backbone ought to be.-Clementine Padford


Zen meditation isn't what you think...

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Physical addiction

We are hooked on fossil fuels in such a huge way. We not only built personal habits around them, we built our physical infrastructure around them.

We used to be able to walk to the local neighborhood grocery store. Now we drive to a big box supermarket. Big box stores are located on big new sites where there are no sidewalks or bike trails.
We used to be able to walk to school. Now schools serve a 20 mile radius, and new schools are often located in the country, where nobody can walk to them.

It will be very difficult to change our infrastructure to again make it easy to live without constant dependency on cars.

This is a good analogy to what goes on in our bodies when we get hooked into a strong habit. Our brain physically changes as habits get ingrained. To change that habit can be as personally painful and difficult as it will be for our country to change its physical layout to reduce fossil fuel consumption.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Habits-R-Us

Habits are the only things that exist.

We are made up entirely of habits.
Matter is just habitual patterns of energy.
Neural networks are adjustable habit machines.

Habits can be deep and ingrained, or shallow and easily changed.
We can even have a habit of changing habits.
(It helps you be creative.)

Once we absorb and accept the idea that we are composed of habits, we realize that the hardest thing to do in life (change habits) is actually our deepest source of power.

I can shape and mold who I am and how I react.
I can make onerous tasks easy.
I can make dirty dishes clean without a thought.

I can improve my littlest habits slowly every day.
After 1000 days Just imagine how much better I will be.


Sow a thought, reap an act
Sow an act, reap a habit
Sow a habit, reap a character
Sow a character, reap a destiny
. old Chinese proverb