10 Day Challenge <<drum roll>> Day #3
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10 Day Challenge <<drum roll>> Day #3
Here we go all who are going!
Day 3:
From One Day At A Time in AlAnon for June 3rd:
"Philosophers, clear back to the ancient Greeks have always made much of the idea of correcting bad habits by daily practice of good ones. In AlAnon we make much of this, too. We learn we cannot go on functioning as we have been, impulsively and automatically, if we hope to improve our lives.
If we really do want peace of mind the first thing to realize is that it does not depend on conditions outside us, but those inside us.
An honest search of our own motives may show that we relish our martyrdom, or invest in our chaos and disappointment, because it keeps us from looking directly at ourselves and who we are.
When we find the causes of our distress and frustration we can establish corrective habits to overcome them.
Today's reminder:
A program of self-recognition "reads easy and does hard!" Many failures come from trying to do too much too fast - and from expecting results overnight.
I will search out just one fault, one bad habit, and work to eliminate that. As I observe the changes this brings about in my outside circumstances I will find courage to keep on changing myself for the better."
"It is no easy thing for a principle to become a man's own unless each day he maintain it and work it out in his life." -Epictetus
"Bad habits are easier to abandon today than tomorrow." ~Yiddish Proverb
"A habit is something you can do without thinking - which is why most of us have so many of them." ~Frank A. Clark
Looking forward to walking and searching out one bad habit and working to eliminate it....within the first 1/10th of a mile I should have a few choice ones!!
Happy Trails,
B.
Day 3:
From One Day At A Time in AlAnon for June 3rd:
"Philosophers, clear back to the ancient Greeks have always made much of the idea of correcting bad habits by daily practice of good ones. In AlAnon we make much of this, too. We learn we cannot go on functioning as we have been, impulsively and automatically, if we hope to improve our lives.
If we really do want peace of mind the first thing to realize is that it does not depend on conditions outside us, but those inside us.
An honest search of our own motives may show that we relish our martyrdom, or invest in our chaos and disappointment, because it keeps us from looking directly at ourselves and who we are.
When we find the causes of our distress and frustration we can establish corrective habits to overcome them.
Today's reminder:
A program of self-recognition "reads easy and does hard!" Many failures come from trying to do too much too fast - and from expecting results overnight.
I will search out just one fault, one bad habit, and work to eliminate that. As I observe the changes this brings about in my outside circumstances I will find courage to keep on changing myself for the better."
"It is no easy thing for a principle to become a man's own unless each day he maintain it and work it out in his life." -Epictetus
"Bad habits are easier to abandon today than tomorrow." ~Yiddish Proverb
"A habit is something you can do without thinking - which is why most of us have so many of them." ~Frank A. Clark
Looking forward to walking and searching out one bad habit and working to eliminate it....within the first 1/10th of a mile I should have a few choice ones!!
Happy Trails,
B.
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Stumbling toward happiness
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Pondering my one bad habit (of quite a few) this morning on my walk.
I think the one I'd like most to work on is the habit of allowing myself to get angry about my addicted/alcoholic baby brother when I'm talking about him to other family members on the phone. It is very easy to fall into the trap of commiserating about how he's screwing everything up, being so irresponsible, making everyone crazy, etc., calling names, getting my blood pressure up.
What the heck's THAT all about? Do I think that my anger is somehow proof of the depth of my love for him? Ridiculous. Truthfully, it doesn't do a single good thing for anyone. Do I really want to be angry? Does it feel good? Is it like the thrill of gossiping, self-important clucking like an old hen?
Thanks for the reminder, bernadette, that we hold on tightly to our habits for a reason -- because we're getting something out of them. I'm getting rid of this one.
I think the one I'd like most to work on is the habit of allowing myself to get angry about my addicted/alcoholic baby brother when I'm talking about him to other family members on the phone. It is very easy to fall into the trap of commiserating about how he's screwing everything up, being so irresponsible, making everyone crazy, etc., calling names, getting my blood pressure up.
What the heck's THAT all about? Do I think that my anger is somehow proof of the depth of my love for him? Ridiculous. Truthfully, it doesn't do a single good thing for anyone. Do I really want to be angry? Does it feel good? Is it like the thrill of gossiping, self-important clucking like an old hen?
Thanks for the reminder, bernadette, that we hold on tightly to our habits for a reason -- because we're getting something out of them. I'm getting rid of this one.
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I have a few I can think of already that I need to work and I have not started my walk yet today! When I walk tonight I will work on these and work on letting them go! 
This is fun Bernadette! And what a way to learn that just when I think I have a handle on my recovery there are a few things that I did not quite have a total handle on!
This is fun Bernadette! And what a way to learn that just when I think I have a handle on my recovery there are a few things that I did not quite have a total handle on!
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Liverpool, Great Britain
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Originally Posted by Bernadette 
...If we really do want peace of mind the first thing to realize is that it does not depend on conditions outside us, but those inside us..
As for my bad habits, I feel that i need to work on feeling down on my self from time to time. I ponder on things that bring me sadness and no spiritual joy what so ever.
I caught myself doing this last night. My daughter is staying at her granparents this week and I was home alone, feeling lonely and down, wishing I had someone to cuddle up to etc. I suddenly realised I could feel my whole body getting heavier! The negativity I was bringing upon myself was literally weighing me down. I had to stop myself in my tracks and replace my negative thoughts with positive ones.
I feel that I need to train my mind in to being naturally happier, and not to automatically go to 'my dark place'!
Lily xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Oh hey Sorry Anvil--maybe its confusing cuz I've been posting the next day's meditation the night before (in case anyone's a super early riser/walker)
Day #1 was JUNE 1....Day #2 = June 2 etc...
I'll add the day of the week when I post day #4 tonight-- good idea!!
Peace--
B.
Day #1 was JUNE 1....Day #2 = June 2 etc...
I'll add the day of the week when I post day #4 tonight-- good idea!!
Peace--
B.
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Boston
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Well - I loved the idea of this - I was like kind of excited ---- oooh pick one defect and just focus on changing that. But I think I'd need to walk several miles before I could actually choose which one to try to eradicate! I had a hard time settling my mind - kept thinking about the really big suckers like : procrastination!! So natch I decided to put that one off till another day!
But I came home and I had a message about a letter from my son's school, and I couldn't find that letter anywhere and I think what I can change, now, is my tendency toward disorganizational extremes. It's probably connected to procrastination - in fact it must be - because I go from everything in its place to a slow slide into messiness and ignoring little piles until they become big piles and then gargantuan piles and then wooooosh I get manic and organize everything to perfection and then...the slow slide again. I'm going to make more of an effort to do a little each day instead of allowing these huge gaps. I am in nursing school now, embarking on a whole new career and I know time management will be imperative for me as a nurse - I gotta get my act together!
Lilyflower your post reminded me of this CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) I did a few years ago. It made me dig up my old notebooks (CBT has homework!) and it really has me inspired to tackle my change of habit using those methods...I used to go to dark places in my mind frequently too. It was automatic for a while. CBT helped me change that. It's great you caught yourself, made yourself aware of what your thoughts were doing to your mood...be kind to yourself!
Peace--
B.
But I came home and I had a message about a letter from my son's school, and I couldn't find that letter anywhere and I think what I can change, now, is my tendency toward disorganizational extremes. It's probably connected to procrastination - in fact it must be - because I go from everything in its place to a slow slide into messiness and ignoring little piles until they become big piles and then gargantuan piles and then wooooosh I get manic and organize everything to perfection and then...the slow slide again. I'm going to make more of an effort to do a little each day instead of allowing these huge gaps. I am in nursing school now, embarking on a whole new career and I know time management will be imperative for me as a nurse - I gotta get my act together!
Lilyflower your post reminded me of this CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) I did a few years ago. It made me dig up my old notebooks (CBT has homework!) and it really has me inspired to tackle my change of habit using those methods...I used to go to dark places in my mind frequently too. It was automatic for a while. CBT helped me change that. It's great you caught yourself, made yourself aware of what your thoughts were doing to your mood...be kind to yourself!
Peace--
B.
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Happyland
Posts: 193
My focus was not just on a bad habit, but an actual addiction that I have myself-smoking...I have smoked for 15 years. During the course of the last 2 years, I actually got to the point where I was chain smoking about 2 1/2 packs a day. Within the last month, I have gotten myself back down to a pack a day. It is time for me to quit altogether...The one nice thing I noticed was for all three days that I have walked, I have not taken the smokes with me I have been walking about an hour each evening-maybe I need to walk more each day...lol Better yet, after we finished this 1st 10 day challenge, maybe we can start a new one....Thanks B
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