Mary’s
Minute
“How we spend
our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
~ Annie Dillard
“Our character
is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious
patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.
~ Stephen Covey
Studies of human behavior teach us how habits are formed – about how our brain creates patterns that define our behaviors and in many ways who we are. An isolated behavior alone does not define us, but eventually patterns of behavior and thought make us who we are. At what point does an isolated action become more than that?
If we wake up
one morning with a stomach ache, do we panic and run to the doctor? Probably not, but persistent symptoms tell us
that it could be more than a random pain.
Good habits and
bad habits are developed sometimes through deliberate actions and sometimes by
just gradually slipping into practices.
Just as we need
to know when it is time to see a doctor because a simple pain is potentially a
symptom, we also need to look for patterns in our lives. Moments turn into days, and the way we spend
our days is the way we spend our lives. Our
thoughts become patterns that can define us.
If we create patterns of positive thoughts, that is who we become.
Mathematicians
make their lives out of studying patterns, and like them we need to be aware of
patterns that we develop in our thoughts and actions. The first step to breaking out of a pattern
is to define it. It is important for us
to define and potentially change patterns of thoughts and actions before they
define us.
Have a great week!
Mary
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