"Our habits—how we think, speak, feel, and act—directly impact our well-being. More broadly, they reinforce patterns that shape our entire experience of living."
"Mindfulness enables us to evolve our consciousness and influence our subsequent life experience by bringing awareness to the habits that keep us from achieving our potential."
"Bringing mindfulness to these habits—and reflecting on how I had been able to let go of earlier unhealthy habits, such as smoking and overeating—showed me the power of awareness in transforming unhelpful and unwanted habits."
"You might be surprised to know that almost half the time, you do what you do because you have done it before under similar circumstances."
"The better you understand habits and the more you shine the light of your own awareness on them, the more you’ll be empowered to bring your actions into alignment with your deepest values. This ability can be a source of freedom and power."
"Habit formation is intended to help us be efficient. Think how much more complex and stressful our lives would be if all our everyday activities were the subject of deliberation and decision making."
"Think of the ways in which a constant
need to be online can separate you from your loved ones, or how mindless
snacking can leave you feeling
judgmental and separated from yourself."
"One of the most effective ways to change harmful habits and ensure that your actions are in keeping with your values and goals is to establish “implementation intentions”—plans of action that specify the exact behaviors you’ll take in response to specific cues."
"When you’re willing to be open
to your experience just as it is, you’ll see that pleasant experiences
can’t be held onto
and that unpleasant experiences
also pass."
"Letting go completely, accepting things as they really are, is the end of suffering, the goal of the Buddhist path. This is the Third Noble Truth—the end of suffering: freedom, or nirvana."
"If you think angry, jealous, or cruel thoughts, you incline your mind in that direction, sowing seeds of future afflictive thoughts and actions."
"If you think a kind thought or carry out a generous action, you incline your mind in that direction, sowing seeds of future positive and kind thoughts and actions."
"Cultivating a relaxed and nonjudging awareness in your body, heart, and mind will help you simply feel the cravings and challenging emotions that—if pushed away or, alternatively, allowed to take over—can lead to unhealthy or unwanted behaviors."
"Developing focus and concentration
will help counter your mind’s tendency to go on autopilot and into habitual
patterns
of thought—and returning nonjudgmentally
to your object of meditation will help create new, healthier patterns."
"Learning to “ride the waves” of
difficult experiences and difficult experiences and developing the capacity
to stay
present with challenging bodily
sensations, emotions, and mind states. This skill will help you learn that
you can be open to unpleasant or difficult experiences without getting
pulled into unhealthy or unwanted behaviors."
"When you have decided what it is
you want—when you can express what matters most to you—visualize yourself
fully
embodying this wish for yourself.
Let yourself experience the emotions, sensations, and feelings of living
this intention."
Quotes of wisdom by Hugh G. Byrne
The
Here-and-Now Habit
