MEMO FROM NARA...

In a way, all of us have some sort of habits. If we repeat something several times in the same way, we will have formed the habit of doing it that way. That is habit! There are good habits and bad habits too. People are, in general, addicted to a particular habit which they develop when they are young. All our life is but a mass of habit. Each one of us has a particular habit or habits which others may or may not like. Sometimes, in order to please others we need to hide or leave our habits. Good habits are always liked by everyone.

I brush my teeth two times a day, one in the morning as soon as I get up from my bed and another before going to sleep in the night. I felt it is a good habit for keeping the mouth free of harmful bacteria. Similarly, I used to go for a walk in the evening everyday with my friends. It is also a good habit, because I feel active and healthy. At the same time there are number of bad habits such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, sitting hours together to watch TV etc. etc. Such habits are very hard to leave but there are ways and means to abandon these habits.

One can break any habit by strong concentration on its opposite. If we concentrate on the ill effects of bad habits we will be able to get away from such habits. All our habits are consciously or unconsciously or sub-consciously by the will. Our will power can certainly help in controlling habits. Realizing the habits is the first step before thinking of controlling them. If we control a bad habit, we are really successful in life. Cultivating good habits in our life and also teaching children to follow good habits will go a long way in making our life happy. There are unpleasant habits too like nail-biting, talking loud, etc. Others do not like such habits, so we need to learn from others’ point of view also. In fact, we are creatures of habits, “imitators and copiers of our past selves.”