This morning I had a thought provoking experience. I got up and got ready for work, then, as I was heading out the door into my garage, the coldness on the bottoms of my feet made me realize I hadn't put my shoes on. I kinda laughed and thought, "I'm so old and menopausal I can't even remember to get fully dressed!", but I think there might be a little more to this story. Those of you who know me, know I only wear shoes when I'm forced to - in a store or public place. I usually even slip my shoes off during praise and worship at church. I don't wear shoes at work either. So, was it out of forgetfulness that I didn't put on my shoes or could it be that not wearing shoes has become a habit for me?? I started thinking about habits. I know I have thought about this before, but somehow it seemed like new info for me this morning. The dictionary says that a habit is an established custom acquired through repetition. Hmmmm...Then I started thinking about other things I do as a habit; i.e. everyday when I come to work, I unlock the door, flip the sign to open, switch on the light, and on and on...out of habit, I do all those things in the same order every morning. They certainly don't have to be done in that order everyday, but almost without my brain's intervention - as if my body mechanically does these things without my direction, my subconscious must take over and those particular things are done exactly the same each day. Then suddenly, a thread of hope breaks through...if I have acquired my habits through repetition, why then, with God's help, can I not change those habits that are, well, not so good for me? Can I use repetition to my advantage? Start eating celery instead of chocolate covered peanuts while checking my e-mail? (why are you laughing - I bet if you look, you'll find a snack by your computer, too!) Riding the exercise bike while watching the Cardinals game instead of watching it from a prone position on the couch? And could I possibly employ repetition to help me make better habits? Get in the habit of taking a walk? Repetitiously finding the positive in each situation instead of the negative until it becomes habit? Oh - suddenly the possibilities for change seem endless!
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Yes, you can! I'll give you a personal example, & the only reason I'm confortable running my mouth about this is because it was long ago & I've let them all fall by wayside since then. The last time I got my weight below 140 was when I had my 1st (and only) office job. I had to be more lady-like & wore dresses almost every day. I started paying more attention to my posture & how I carried myself. For 3 summers, I walked every day after work, whether I wanted to or not, from my house on lower Koch St. to the fountain in front of the hospital. I didn't give myself a choice. And while I ws walking, I consciously started tensing my lower ab & midriff muscles. In other words, sucking them in. :) As those muscles strengthened, it became easier & started to become a habit. Not just on walks & at work, but all the time. And I would be skeptical about this if I hadn't experienced it myself - but it became such a habit that for 4 or 5 years I did it all day long without EVER consciously thinking about it. It's especially good to do it in the car, because it makes you sit up properly. I aslso lost my sweet tooth for quite awhile & never missed it. I went for 3 years without ever having a candy bar. All I had to do was think about the size 10 dresses I had to wear to work. The good old days!
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