How to Eliminate Bad Habits
act as our spiritual bodyguards, protecting us from ourselves in moments of vulnerability.
SOLITUDE
To heal completely, we need to practice discipline when we are alone. This is a tall order. Many of us are afraid to be alone and of the unknown. With continued practice, however, we will gain the necessary courage and self-control to resist craving even when we are alone. Then we do not need bodyguards. Eventually, craving ceases.
PERSEVERANCE
Change is difficult. Some strong bad habits may take years to break. Tests, trials, and temptations come. Setbacks occur. Back and forth movement between old and new patterns is a natural part of the process. Do not give up. When you slip and fall, be sure to create the mental habit of gentleness with yourself, while using the remorse,regret, or disgust you may feel as an incentive to push you on to greater efforts.
VICTORY
Keep feeding the positive habit to make it stronger and starving the negative habit to make it weaker. Give the best of your effort, concentration, and attention to the new habit until it takes over and becomes a natural, effortless, and automatic part of your repertoire. Keep battling and you will win. Craving ceases. Peace and strengthdeepen. Life becomes easier and more natural.
The ego, in its drive for immediate gratification, gets us into trouble with addiction and attachment. Not only do we lose pre-existing strength, but spiritual qualities cannot grow. On the other hand, our souls yearn for Love, and are willing to pay the price of work and patience. As we practice the methods of a seeker, we reinforce the neurocircuits containing spiritual qualities such as Love, compassion, understanding, strength, and courage, until these become unconditional habits. In the end, we realize our true spiritual identity by reconditioning our brain with soul qualities. We do not have to think about our practice. We express the habits of a sage, the Love qualities, automatically, naturally, and easily.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
• In the beginning of our spiritual work, it may be difficult to gettraction. We can gain momentum by setting reasonable goals, taking small steps, achieving modest successes, and building from there.
• The next step in our spiritual development is in the immediate moments of our lives. However, when we do not like what is going on, we leap out of the moment and back into an unhealthy habit. We hypnotize and narcotize ourselves in order to avoid unpleasant feelings. Instead, choose constructive, meaningful activities and the spiritual methods of a seeker to develop the spiritual qualities of a sage.
• Break bad habits of thought, attitude, emotion, desire, energy,and action so you can emerge from the past and find yourself renewed: fresh, spontaneous, and in the moment.
AFFIRMATIONS
I can eliminate any bad habit.
I expand my will power through practice.
With my expanded will power, I escape from bad habits.
One by one, I eliminate all bad habits.
Nothing can stand in my way.
Nothing can touch my will.
Nothing can shake my resolve.
My will power grows stronger each day.
My mind is set.
Nothing can stop me.
I will succeed.
Old friends who would have me indulge my bad habits are out.
With will and thought, I conquer every bad habit, one at a time.
I am not my bad habits. My true self is free to be warm, compassionate, loving, and kind.
I am stronger than any negative desire or temptation.
No matter how many times I fail, I will rise and conquer.
As I strengthen my body through physical exercise, I strengthen my will with mental exercise.
With will and thought, I cast out this bad habit from the neurocircuits in my brain.
With will and thought, I cultivate the habits of a sage: Love, peace of mind, compassion, and strength.
EXERCISES
Make a list of your good and bad habits. Which habits would you like to change now?
What barriers keep you from changing your bad habits?
Make a list of constructive, meaningful activities that you will use to avoid bad habits.
What spiritual methods would you like to practice?
What spiritual qualities would you like to develop?
What will you do when craving for a destructive habit returns?
Practice the ten steps for replacing bad habits with good and spiritual habits.
Keep a log. Each day you can inspect the status of your habits. Give yourself credit for your successes. Recognize your slips, but do not dwell on the bad habit; this only reinforces the associated brain groove. Instead, cultivate the mental habit of