The key to achieving your goal, even though the force of unhealthy habits may be strong, is to ‘know your why.’ Why have you embarked on this 28-day journey with us? And then, asking why is that reason important? Get to the most basic answer as to why you are doing this program and honor that each of those reasons are buried under many habits and patterns that you will need to make the commitment to uncover and release so the source of your strength can florish. That deepest reason will give you power when challenges arise.
A teacher once said, “As soon as you commit to something, the temptation will appear to test you.”
Know that temptation is coming, and your will is powerful to resist or manuver around those temptations. You always have choice and the more you can support your well being by being adequately nourished, relieving stress and expressing your feeling the easier it will be to choose new habits and patterns.
One trap we fall into is listening to the familiar mindspeak, which is directly correlated to our neurological impulses and perceived needs. For instance, the mind’s habit will say, “AH! I really want a soda right now!!!” This could very well be true. Even so, reiterating the sentence in your head, even if you then say “but I can’t,” still creates an unhealthy inner struggle. And does not defeat the desire for soda, only adds onto it a sense of negativity and lack. Instead, we can USE the POWER of our mindspeak, to INTENTIONALLY, create new habits, that will also change our neurological impulses. For instance, when your mind, in an addictive craving state, goes to the familiar, “AH! I really…” you can interrupt that thought and REPLACE it with something positive that serves you, like “AH! I REALLY WANT A FRESH GLASS OF WATER RIGHT NOW, WITH A DASH OF FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON! HoW ReFREShING!!” And you can add a smile in there. This engages the concept of neuroplacticity, as in, we always have the capability to grow new neurons in our brains, leave old habits, and create new ones. And it won’t be automatic. We must allow ourselves patience and keep up the practice of recreating our thought patterns into something that better serves us. What unhealthy thought pattern can you frame into a thought that serves you and keeps you in a positive mind state?
