“Humans are creatures of habit.  80% of what we do today, we do everyday.”  – Deepak Chopra

The first time I read that my jaw dropped.  At first I tried to deny it but then when I actually looked at my life I realized Deepak was right and I was addicted to my habits.  Why do we do the same thing day in and day out…even when it’s unhealthy, it makes us unhappy and distracts us from our purpose?  My theory is safety and comfort.  The ego likes knowing that nothing is changing and everything is safe.  If the ego knows it’s safe then it can go about its’ usual business of complaining, judging, fearing and self sabotaging …

This false sense of security is a dangerous place to live though.  Not growing, not changing, not adapting, not checking in and thinking about what’s in your highest good with each choice we make leads us down a dark, dead-end road.  If we want to Thrive in joy, serving our highest purpose then we have to change our habits NOW.  We live in a world where we’re addicted to our oil, non-food, sexual energy, expensive vacations, plastics and modern day conveniences … One by one we need to break free of these habits and addictions in order to live, breathe and be free…not just for our own health and happiness but for all the unborn generations.  But how Mr Dude?

Lets talk about the 80% Rule…

The 80% rule does not necessarily mean that we’re doing the exact same act everyday.  It is speaking more specifically to the qualities of the act.  The majority of our actions are either love-based or fear-based.  If we really cared about ourselves, our body and the Earth then we wouldn’t be stuck in a habit of over working, under sleeping, feeding our body the foods that don’t serve, purchasing groceries that are GMO-cheap rather than good for us, zoning out by watching mind-numbing shows, avoiding exercise and using drugs, alcohol and other substances to numb our true feelings.  The ego likes to hide from our Truth and from our Divine purpose and therefore it uses all of those things (and many others) to stay numb, hidden, small and comfortable.  A great practice in being more Conscious when making choice is “Is this choice inspired by Love?”

Writing this article is timely for me.  I am doing a Liver Flush right now; something I’ve been resisting for the last couple weeks since my Beloved Celeste had the idea to do one.  Today my ego, lets call him “Gill,” is unhappy … Gill’s comforts have been stripped away.  No delicious Coffee, no nut mix, no chia porridge in the morning, no baked yams, no SOLID FOOD for five whole days (dunh dunh dunnnnh)!  All my habits and addictions to foods and routines are so in my face it makes me laugh!

How do we Change our Habits?

Changing is actually the easiest part.  It’s getting off the damn fence that takes courage.  Most of the time we’re stuck up on a fence, caught between choices.  We use unempowering words like ‘should, wish, thinking about, talking about, might,’ or my favorite of all, ‘I’m waiting for a sign from the Universe.’  All of these things keep us on the fence never taking charge of our own lives and destiny.  We just watch opportunities pass us by as we stay stuck in the same old, same old, hoping someone will come rescue us from the unhappiness or do it for us.  Always wanting the easy way … The reality though is, we need to be the ones to decide what we’re going to do and then do it.  Sometimes this is the challenging road, but always the most rewarding.

 Be Warned of the Sneaky Ego..

When we first start making changes our old patterns and routines will try to suck us back down the hole and into the rut.  Our ego will justify and say things like ‘it’s okay, just take a little bit OR just this once.’  If our life was a movie we would see the angel and devil on both shoulders.  The uncommitted one who is still on the fence person will fall for those tricks and slip.  The naive person will go back to the same old same old, shrug their shoulders and say something like, “well I guess it just wasn’t meant to be  OR  I guess the Universe didn’t want that for me.”  The Cowabunga Warrior will stand strong, rooted in your decision and say NO to those simple temptations.  You will move through the change with enthusiasm, knowing that a new habit is forming, which means a NEW YOU is Being birthed!

Four Simple Steps to Changing Habits and your Own Life…

1.  Decide what you want  (Health, more money, a Retreat, early retirement, etc…)

2.  Take a look at the things you do regularly (whether everyday, once a week, monthly, etc) and STOP doing them

2.  Commit to having it no matter what other people say, what obstacles you come up against or what internal excuses come up … in other words get off the fence and

4.  Do the thing you need to do everyday that helps you to achieve that goal.

Follow these steps precisely and your life will change in magical ways…

The Key to Success is to ADD Something Awesome…

Most people think because they’re taking a habit away they are losing something.  Instead, once you’ve decided what you want figure out what the most awesome thing you can do that would be fun, fulfilling and that you will actually show up for yourself and do.  This makes changing things a lot more easy and fun.  That’s why I made a 40 Day Meditation Program that is fun, easy and also helps people make meditation a habit in their lives.  Truly it’s our habits that make us who we are so I ask you, what habits do you have that are making you who you are Not?

It’s all about raising your vibes to higher and higher levels.  This does not mean punishing yourself when you do slip up and fall.  It means choosing to do the things that are the most fun, make you come alive and enjoy the most.  If you ad in the high vibing choices, the other ones will naturally fall away and seem less shiny over time!  Cuz once you wake up, you can never go back…

A Fun Exercise to Start Changing your Habits ...

Look at one day in the life of you and answer the following…

1)  What do you do the first hour of waking up?

2)  What do you have for breakfast?  Do you eat while walking, driving or do you sit down and be present with your food?  Do you drink more coffee than water in the morning?

3)  How do you prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually for the day?  Do you have a practice or do you just rush around and go straight into work?

4)  What is the later part of your morning up til lunch like?  How much of it is unconscious and how much of it is intention filled?

5)  How do you spend the second half of your day?  Do you remember to feed your body & hydrate it?  Do you exercise at all and get your body moving?

6)  When your body gets tired do you push it or stop for some breath and movement?

7)  What does your evening generally look like?  If you have a crazy day do you do something restorative or do you go out with friends and push yourself farther?

8)  How do you prepare to end the day and go to sleep?  Do you give thanks, do you intend how you want to wake up tomorrow?

9)  How much of your day would you say is filled with intention and presence and how much is robotic and mechanical?

10)  What is ONE new habit you are committed to adopting into your daily life in order to raise your vibes higher and love your life more!?

Take the time to do this exercise.  For each part you’re unhappy with write down what you commit begin experiencing in order to awesomefy your life.  Journal your experiences below if you’re inspired.  And by all means leave your questions with me or share this with a friend if it’s been helpful!

–
Cowabunga Namaste;

Brad Morris  (A.K.A – BradiDude)
Creator.  Innovator.  Facilitator.
http://www.CowabungaLife.com
http://www.TheGratiDudes.com

Live your Awesomeness!