Habitual Thoughts: What are They?

What thoughts do you tend to have when you:

• are hungry
• are full
• are happy
• are sad
• are angry
• are lonely
• are discouraged
• are encouraged
• are confronted
• are confronting
• are confused
• are enlightened
• are looking to purchase something
• want something that you can't have
• talk to someone "important"
• talk to someone who may not be "important"

Is it possible that the way we think in certain circumstances has become habitual?

A Tweet About Habits By John Ortberg:

johnortberg John Ortberg

U r a collection of habits Tru change means-not more willpower-but new habits.

When Will Power Defeat Our Habits?

"I just can't do it captain...I don't have the power," stated Scotty from Star Trek.  Scotty was right, we don't have the power.  If I can't, we know He can.  If we can't defeat our habits with our power,  I believe the Spirit's power can help us create new habits.  If the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self discipline, I believe He can help us make new habits (2 Tim 1:7).   If it's not by might nor by power, but by your spirit, I believe the Spirit can help us create new habits  (Zech 4:6).  If we are not to conform any longer to the patterns of this world, which are the habits that we all get into, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, I believe God's spirit can help us make new habits (Rom 12:2).

A Collection of Habits and Conditioned Reflexes

Are we mostly a collection of habits and conditioned reflexes? 

Thoughts lead to behaviors which lead to habits which help in forming conditioned reflexes.

"Life begins where your comfort zone

ends!"  My cousin just shared this statement with me on facebook and I believe it to be true.  I remember our campus minister in college sharing that we needed to be uncomfortable with our comfortableness.

I know as a physical therapist, the only way to build a muscle up is to make it do what it is not comfortable doing.  So, plow ahead!  Go against the flow!  We only live once.

Without discomfort we can't

get stronger.  The only way to build strength is to make ourselves uncomfortable.  Before a mission trip to Haiti (when I was in college), our campus pastor told me, "we have to be uncomfortable with our comfortableness."  That quote has stuck with me for quite some time.

As a Physical Therapist, I recognize the need for people to welcome feeling uncomfortable (pain, fatigue, burning, discomfort, dizzy) in order to make progress.  Trials (events that make us uncomfortable) are opportunities to get stronger.

Addicted to comfort

I just read a statement from some friends of ours at livereadynow.com.  They wrote "We all like to be comfortable; in fact, pain is usually an indication that something is wrong. However, we can actually become addicted to comfort, and find ourselves unwilling to live without it.

We can easily begin to make decisions based on the comfort level involved instead of basing them on wisdom. This is dangerous!

Many times in a crisis situation the right decision is not the one that is immediately comfortable. It is a good idea to practice being uncomfortable, and not letting it bother you."

I never thought of the possibility of being addicted to comfort.  I certainly believe it is possible.  Of course, we know, it's not about our comfort, but our character.