Habits: The Elephant in the Room

Who knew? That life was really… all about habits. Who knew that life was NOT ABOUT, looking for anything outside of ourselves, but right with, ourselves instead. The tiny little micro moves you make all day, every day, one day at a time… all add up, to bake the big fat cake called: YOUR LIFE. Was it the little bird… who said that? No, it wasn’t, cause NO ONE said it.

No one ever taught us any of that magic in first grade. And I am almost certainly sure that no one taught us that growing up the ladder either. Not that I recall anyway. I am quite sure, I woulda been much better off, if someone had passed on that little secret nugget sooner. And, “brush your teeth,” “comb your hair,” “clean your room,” “do your homework…” doesn’t quite hit the mark I’m referring to.

Who knew? Well somebody did, I reckon, cause they published a book on the topic. In the 90s, (actually it was published in 1989), I do recall a book on the N.Y. Times Best Seller List called: “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-7-Habits-of-Highly-Effective-People/Stephen-R-Covey/9781982137137

The reason why I remember this so well, is cause I was 15, & I just got my very first job at this “Staples” kind of place called: “The Paper Cutter.” I had the job pretty much all 4 years through high school. We had an entire book department like a Barnes & Noble. I was the the luck dog employee to have to get up early every Saturday morning to punch in & do the N.Y. Times Best Seller “book changeover.” It was actually great!

I felt special & privileged to update The Times list every week. Besides, it was a perfect clock crusher. Before ya know it, it was lunch break… or more like, a Doritos, Snapple, smoke a bowl & cigarette break 🙂 (talk about habits…lol). Ode to my teenage self. I was a total book obsessed teenager who “collected” everything I could get my hands on that was interesting & enchanting. I pretty much knew the Best Seller list by heart for those 4 years. lol

“All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” by Robert Fulghum… was another book that never strayed from the list back then, circa 89-92. But, the book about HABITS… that book floated between #1 & #5 for the longest time. Matter of fact, present day, the Simon & Shuster website says this: “New York Times bestseller—over 40 million copies sold.
The #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century” Hmmm, wonder why?

Well… because the big fat elephant in the room, is why. You know that old saying from the Bible or what not: “you can tell a person by their fruits…?” My grandfather used to say, you can tell a person by the company they keep. Well, to be honest, you can truly tell a person by just one little thing: THEIR HABITS.

Habits can either make or break ya. Habits decern your fate & future. Habits decide your health & hygiene. Habits determine your mood & attitude, your growth & expansion, your wealth & status. Habits facilitate your progress or NOT, your success or NOT. Habits set the standard, set the stage, tune your vibe, establish your frequency, fashion your flow, direct your path, paint your canvas, decorate your day. Habits fuel your energy level, fortify your presence, dial in your impact & influence. Habits wind up being the thing in place that thus attracts associates, partners, friends, important players… who in effect, you will find have very similar ones. This is no coincidence.

Habits make the man (or woman)… as they say. Not the shoes, jacket, designer bag, or fly tie… the HABITS. The secret ones, the not so secret ones. The default ones, the deliberate ones. The trusty ole standby ones, the new improved (most likely) more beneficial ones. What you do when no one is looking… COUNTS, I have news for ya. The outdated antique falling apart habits with mildew & moth holes… these HAVE GOT TO GO!

Habits can indeed be outgrown. Habits can be formed or unformed in the blink of an eye. “Habits are important!” Is actually an understatement. Habits are KING. Not secondary, but PRIORITY. Habits are what you are made of. If you were a cake, & you had to list your ingredients… it would be your habits. I like cake analogies.

Today’s TO DO:

NOTICE your habits. PAY ATTENTION to your micro moves.

Then, each time you observe one… gauge your first instinct & break out this handy checklist:

Does this habit feel dense & heavy (3D) or light & free (5D)?
Does this habit serve my highest good?
Does this habit align with my values?
Is this habit a good investment? (of my time)
Is this habit keeping me stuck or moving forward?

In order to be HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, like the book title says, we must have HIGHLY EFFECTIVE HABITS. It’s a pretty simple formula. Not rocket science, a first grader would get it. This nugget is well over due.

Check yourself today!

What’s in your wallet?