“When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?’” Sydney J. Harris
I know, it’s a dramatic title, but it’s been an interesting few days. From nowhere, a cloud has appeared, and I find myself stuck – imprisoned by my habits. Old mental tendencies have surfaced, and I am moody and negative.
Enduring happiness? Absolutely possible, I know, but right now it ... Read entire article
This audio accompanies the 5-part series of posts called, Freedom from the Prison of Your Habits. It guides you through the deep investigation of a habit. It doesn’t matter how many times you play this recording or precisely explore your habits that don’t serve you. Each time, you are here, alive to what is real. Awareness is the key to the prison door. Be as you are, and you are free.
“Few of us have lost our minds, but most of us have long ago lost our bodies.”
Ken Wilbur
This post marks the fifth and last in the series Freedom from the Prison of Your Habits. The previous posts are:
Part 1: How Habits Develop Part 2: Identifying Habits Part 3: Examining Thoughts Part 4: ... Read entire article
“Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions.”
Hafiz
In this series, we learned how habits develop and markers to identify them. The previous post explained the wisdom of exploring our habits, beginning with thoughts and beliefs. Now we address the world of emotions.
A normal human tendency is to seek pleasure and avoid pain. ... Read entire article
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery “Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” Chinese proverb
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how habits develop, and Part 2 describes what it is like to be locked into a habit: rigid, inflexible, uncontrollable behavior and emotions, feeling ... Read entire article
“Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts.” Marianne Williamson
In Part 1 of this series, we learned how our original state is one of freedom, innocence, and openness. We saw how habits form as a strategy of survival in response to challenging relationships in our ... Read entire article
“Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open? Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking. Live in silence.” Rumi
Habits so easily operate outside of our conscious awareness. Have you ever eaten a box of cookies before you realized it? Or smoked three-fourths of a cigarette before you became aware you were even smoking? Do you find yourself in an argument with ... Read entire article
This audio is a companion to the post, “The Wisdom of Restraining Yourself.” It is a process to guide you to directly experience what happens when you restrain yourself from enacting an automatic habit. Once you try it a few times, you will see firsthand the possibility of letting go of patterns that don’t serve you.
... Read entire article
Note: Related audio on this topic called Practicing Restraint.
I used to be very rebellious, and it got me into some trouble. In the name of freedom, I felt like I could do whatever I wanted without restriction, and I certainly didn’t want my autonomy compromised by someone else’s rules. (Just ask my parents.) Truth be told, my willful behavior did not make me happy. ... Read entire article
Have you heard this one?
A Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor, hands him a twenty dollar bill, and says, “Make me one with everything.” The vendor prepares the hot dog and gives it to the monk. The monk, after waiting for a moment, asks for his change. The vendor looks at him and says, “Change only comes from within.”
How people make changes in their lives is a topic ... Read entire article
Hi, I’m Gail Brenner, Ph.D., psychologist and blogger. Here you will find inspiration to help you reclaim your natural life. Discover that inner peace is absolutely possible, happiness and fulfillment your birthright. Come on in. Be inspired. Awaken to A Flourishing Life!
