Skip to main content

The Power of Habit

In this episode – The Power of Habit . . .


Habit is a powerful connection between goals and accomplishments. Did you know it takes 21 days to establish a habit?

According to the How Stuff Works website, “Habits are patterns of behavior that become “worn into” our brains.” Do you wake up every morning, pour a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice, in that order . . . every morning? If so, that pattern is locked into your brain through well-worn synaptic pathways.

Knowing this tidbit of information, with courage, conviction, and composure, you can inspire yourself daily through this power of habit.

No one is entirely sure where the 21-day rule originated, but it seems to have first appeared in the book Psycho-Cybernetics, by Maxwell Maltz.

One habit of mine is to share a “Thought for the Day” via the web, on Twitter, @pball001. (This has since morphed into my podcast). These are meaningful quotes that I’ve ferreted from books, Google search, and listening to a variety of Podcasts.

Sometimes I ask myself, why do this? Who really reads this stuff? Does it make a difference? Then it hits me, reading and/or listening every day to various audiobooks, biographies, science articles, philosophy, mysteries, travel logs, music, or whatever tickles my fancy - inspires me.

Yes, my listening friends, believe it or not, it’s a choice.

. . .  But don’t mind me, go ahead; you can ignore this power and remain an Excuse-i-ologist.

What’s that, you ask?

A person 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.

Like the morning cup of coffee and orange juice, we all need daily reminders (I do, anyway).

What’s my remedy?

Simple, begin a daily quest for good, clean, positive, powerful quotes to stimulate you’re thinking.

Write them down, then share them with others.

With today’s social media (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, texting, and many more), we have an amazing power to share with family and friends like never before. While writing this piece, I discovered over 60+ Social Media sites on the web. That’s hard to believe. What’s your favorite?

Don’t conform. Establish the habit of discovering what motivates you. You will be amazed at the effect it will have on others. Remember, it takes less than one month to implement the knowledge.

Today’s “Thought for the Day” - “The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it’s conformity.” - Rollo May.

I’m Patrick Ball; thanks for listening; see you in the next episode.

Updated; 11/20/2022

Comments

Most Popular of All Time

Paris – the End of Silence

✈️  In this special episode: Paris – the End of Silence Sometimes, connection arrives in the most unexpected form—not through grand gestures, but through a quiet voice carried by technology. In a Paris apartment, I finally understood my family’s words . . . and felt my mother’s presence in every sentence. Since I was a little boy, France has been both a beautiful and frustrating paradox in my life. Every six to nine years, my mother, Mauricette, would take my brothers and me back to La Rochelle to visit our French family. The moment we arrived, the air would fill with a sound I loved but couldn’t share in—the rapid-fire, musical rhythm of French. My aunts, uncles, and cousins would warmly sweep me into hugs and kisses, their words flowing like a lovely melody I couldn’t quite catch. I’d smile brightly, trying to communicate with my eyes and hands. But as soon as we stepped off the plane, my mother and her sister-in-law, Joséan, started talking animatedly. They were gone, chatting h...

Pushing the Pause Button

In this episode, Pushing the Pause Button: Stepping Off the Treadmill Hello, friends — If you're reading this, I'm already off the grid. Today begins a much-needed vacation, and for the next few weeks, On the Fly is taking a break right along with me. For a long time, my inner voice has said, 'Keep every commitment, no matter what.' That's meant early mornings, long days, and a calendar packed with posts, podcasts, and projects I couldn't seem to say no to. I've been trying to be the tireless workhorse—but that kind of grind doesn't end well. Lately, I've noticed I'm not quite myself—shorter fuse, louder sighs, and a few too many grumbles (Lori deserves a medal). That's when you know it's time to hit pause before the spark burns out. So, I'm stepping back to rest, recharge, and remember what it feels like to not live by the next deadline: no tech, no to-do lists, just some space to breathe. Thank you, truly, for all your support and ...

Noirmoutier: An Ocean Between Us, Gone in a Moment

In this episode, Noirmoutier: An Ocean Between Us, Gone in a Moment. Sometimes love waits half a century for its moment — and when it finally arrives, time doesn’t stand still; it disappears. The moment I stepped off the train in Nantes, it felt like time froze. There she was — my cousin Michèle — waiting on the platform, arms waving desperately. When we finally embraced, the fifty years that had passed between us disappeared in an instant. The melody in her voice was the same, but softer than I remembered. We both shed tears of joy that only come from love long overdue. “I’m so happy you are here,” she whispered, her voice trembling.   Thank goodness for the translation app on my phone, because the conversation began immediately — fast, fluid, and unstoppable. The Frenzy of Catching Up As we drove for about an hour to the tiny town of L’Épine on the Island of Noirmoutier, the words kept tumbling out. Michèle and her husband, Alain, are the most gracious hosts — but my new challe...

Our Journey to Avignon

🇫🇷 Lost in Transition: Our Journey to Avignon (Part 1) When everything that can go wrong—does—sometimes grace still finds you. Our Monday morning trip began on the quiet island of Noirmoutier , where salt marshes and sea breezes whisper of simpler days. From there, our early morning drive was uneventful; we arrived at the Nantes station with plenty of time to spare. From Nantes to Paris Montparnasse, everything went smoothly—so we thought, until it didn't. That's when things started to unravel. If you've never traveled the Paris Metro , imagine a vast underground maze pulsing beneath the city—corridors twisting into one another, trains roaring in and out of the dark, staircases that rise and fall like riddles. It's efficient, yes—but only if you know where you're going. We had over an hour and a half to make our next train to Avignon —plenty of time. Or so we believed. We needed to reach the Gare de Lyon station, where our TGV (high-speed train) was headed south...