Skip to main content

Habit's for Life

Habit is the link between goals and accomplishments. You’ve heard it said that it takes 21 days to establish a habit, why?

According to Julia Layton, “Habits are essentially patterns of behavior that become "worn in" to our brains. Someone who wakes up every morning, pours a cup of coffee and lights a cigarette, in that order, every morning, has that pattern built in to his or her brain, in the form of well-used synaptic pathways.”

With patience, persistence, and predilection you can teach yourself whatever you choose to learn through the power of habit. Since December 2003 its been my privilege to share my Thought for the Day” via the web, on Twitter, at pball001. (This has since morphed to a podcast). Sometimes I ask myself why?  Who really reads this stuff? Does it make a difference? Then I realize - (I do) that reading or listening daily to a variety of books - biographies, science, philosophy, mysteries, travel logs, or whatever tickles my fancy - my mind, through practiced habit, selectively picks out passages or quotes that motivates my thinking at that time.

My conclusion is this; its too easy to get caught up in “Stinkin’ Thinkin’ as Zig Ziglar called it. Like the morning cup of coffee (forget the cigarette) we all need a daily reminder (I do anyway) to look for the good in ourselves and others and approach life with positive expectations.

Earl Nightingale said it so simply, “We become what we think about, but the thinking is up to us.”

Yes my friends, believe it or not, its a choice. You can continue to be an Excuse-i-ologist - someone who has studied and mastered the art of the excuse - (you don’t have to look far to find one, just look in a mirror), or you can take action today. However there are times, admit it, (almost daily) that this choice is hard to make.

So, my remedy is a daily quest for a quote appropriate to the thoughts and actions I want to cultivate as a student of positive life experiences. My intention, is to keep these short bites designed to get you (and me) to stop for a moment and think about the positive experiences in your life. With today’s technology (FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, and texting) we have an amazing power to communicate with family and friends in ways we overlook, simple yet powerful experiences. Establish the habit of finding the best in yourself and others. It is education for life.

Here’s today’s installment, "He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Updated 11/18/2022

Comments

Most Popular of All Time

A Heart Full of Thanks

Oh, the thanks I could think, and the thanks I could say! For the wonderful people who brightened my day. The first one is Lori, my wife, sweet and true, Who knows just the thing and knows just what to do. She whipped up a feast with a smile and a sigh, With corn on the cob and a steak cooked “On the Fly!” My neighbor, Steve, with a mischievous gleam, Said, “No fence work today! No work, it would seem! You’ll paint with some water, some colors so bright, And sign your new painting with all of your might!" I laughed and I said, “But I don’t know that skill! I’ll slap on some paint and see what sticks still!” Then there’s my friends on the Facebook machine, The best group of readers that ever was seen! They read all my blogs and they hear my podcasts, They send all their cheer that's built to last! And Billy and Linda. A Snoopy card in the mail. A wonderful surprise that was sure to prevail! From very good friends, a delightful new tale ! But the thanks didn't stop, no, not...

Beyond Facts-The Deep Dive

✨ In this episode, Beyond Facts: Reimagining School–in the Age of AI . . .   This week's podcast is a bit different; it's another example of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer tools to creatively enhance your analytical presentation of information. We took this week's blog and copied it into Gemini with the question, “If a story is to work, it must, on some level, create an illusion of escape and also achieve a goal simultaneously. Does this apply to my blog post that follows?” What's created is not just an analysis of the writing, but an AI-generated discussion produced “On the Fly” - Enjoy! Did you know that the word "school" comes from the ancient Greek word scholÄ“ , which originally meant "leisure"? Not a rigid schedule or droning lectures filled with "facts," but free time for thinking and conversation. To the Greeks, learning happened best when life slowed down—when you had room to reflect, to ask questions, and to wrestle ...

A Pirate's Ponderings

In this episode, A Pirate's Ponderings: Turning 69 with a Classic . . . When was the last time you were so compelled by a quest that you had your bags packed and your boots on before the first rooster crowed? For me, this summer has been exactly that, a journey where the world outside faded away and the one inside my head roared to life. I felt like that young cabin boy in training, with the vast ocean of a great story stretching out before me. My hand was on the wheel, navigating every swell, riding the waves, and eager to see what lay just beyond the horizon. This wasn't a journey across lands, but a flight of imagination that has been an exciting ride. My adventure took off on the deck of the Hispaniola as I became lost on Treasure Island . My imagination soared, and I could almost taste the salt spray and feel the ship's timbers groan as we sailed toward our destiny. Below deck, in the narrow, shadowy depths, I could smell the hearty meals Long John Silver and Jim Haw...

Lessons from 1872

In this episode, Lessons from 1872: Travel in the Age of No-WiFi . . .   Imagine having 80 days to explore the world, with no smartphones, no jet planes, and no money concerns. A thrilling thought, right? That’s the fantasy Jules Verne implies in his classic adventure, Around the World in 80 Days , and it's a question I've been pondering from my easy chair in Vista, California. This week’s On the Fly , we're traveling back in time with one of the most thrilling literary adventures ever written. Early on, it’s clear this is Phileas Fogg’s story—a man of clocks and calculations, whose every move is measured. His journey isn’t about discovery, but a bet—a mathematical challenge involving money, schedules, and perfect timing. But when you think he’s the engine of the story, someone else quietly steals the show. Meet Passepartout: The Heart of the Journey. Jean Passepartout, Fogg’s new valet, is Fogg’s complete opposite. A former circus acrobat seeking a quiet life, he joins Fo...