The first time I read this I knew. Do you ever have that? You read or see something and wham!, it goes straight into your heart. Lightening strikes you out of your daily wanderings. 2 decades later, this poem still does that to me.
Habits are our patterns, how we move, think, act, respond, breathe our way through life. They are patterns- good - bad-beautiful-ugly-nourishing-depleting. They don't judge they follow our consistent actions.
What is persistently & consistently repeated becomes our pattern for being. According to Tom Corley in his book Change your habits, Change Your Life most of our habits have been pretty much formed by the time we are 9 years old! 9 years old! Which means, most of who we are is hidden to us...until we decide to grow into who we wish to become.
The Habit Poem
I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half of the things you do you might as well turn over to me and
I will do them - quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed - you must be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons,
I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of great people, and alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine
though I work with the precision of a machine
plus the intelligence of a person.
You may run me for profit or run me for ruin -
it makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me,
and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
Who am I? I am Habit
Habits can be upgraded and reduced. They can help us become the person we wish to be.
More to come,
Until then...
Happy explorations,
Denise