Desiderius Erasmus has said, "A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is
overcome by habit." We should not simply resist "bad habits," we would do better
to create good ones.
A teacher who was lecturing on habits told his class that "anything you repeat
twenty times is yours forever." From the back of the classroom came a whispered
voice, "Mandy. Mandy. Mandy. Mandy..."
What the teacher was trying to say is that any behaviour, often repeated,
becomes habit. And any habit often repeated, becomes stronger and more powerful.
Which is why Dr. E. Stanley Jones was so wise in admonishing us, "Since habits
become power, make them work for you and not against you." In other words, drive
out the undesirable nail with a good one.
One woman did just that after lamenting to her friend, "I hate being late. It
has been a problem for me all of my life."
"Do you really want to change that habit?" Her friend asked.
The woman said that she did and her friend responded, "All right. Every time you
are late for work or anywhere else, you must give me $25."
"I would go broke!" Came the reply. "But I will do $10."
It has to be a large enough amount of money for it to hurt," said the friend.
"Believe me, that will hurt," the woman replied. They agreed that the money
should be deposited in a jar and used for charity.
In the first week the habitually tardy woman only paid $10 to her friend. The
next week, $20. The third week none at all. By the fifth week she had built a
new habit that changed an irritating pattern which had hindered her all her
life. She drove out one nail with another one, and in doing so she found
freedom.
Behaviours, as well as attitudes, often repeated, become strong habits. And
great freedom is found in replacing that unwanted way of acting or thinking with
one you choose. It is an important piece of a whole and happy life.
Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please
authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances
dictate.
Thanks to Life Support
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