Friday, May 25, 2007

Friday Five--Habits

1. Have you ever successfully quit a bad habit, or gotten a good habit established? Tell us about how you did it.

I used to keep a prayer journal daily during Lent--but I haven't done it for ages. I just got up early, and made myself do it. Sounds easy... it was, then, though I didn't always want to. I really ought to do something like that again.

I'm taking a book of Ignatian spiritual exercises to the Ranch with me this summer; that'll be a good time to start experimenting.

2. "If only there were a 12-step program for Internet surfers!"

Given unstructured time, I do this way too much. I'll be better this summer, because I'll be outside a lot, and I don't think about it when it's not available... but it's a really unhelpful habit.

3. Share one of your healthy "obsessions" with us.

I drive as little as possible, and I walk as much as I can. That's partly economic, partly out of global concern, and partly because, as a student, I don't get any other exercise.

4. Share the habit of a spouse, friend or loved one that drives you C-R-A-Z-Y.

I don't talk about people I love behind their backs--and I wouldn't even if I didn't know that some of them read this. But someone I used to be close to drove me bananas, by taking long phone conversations when I was visiting. If I called her when she had company, she'd tell me it had to be quick. I never got the same courtesy, however.

That's not why we aren't close anymore, but in retrospect it's a sign of things not having been right.

5. "I'd love to get into the habit of getting up early to pray in the morning.

Bonus: What is one small action you might take immediately to make #5 a reality?

Two steps: Leave my laptop on my desk, and go to bed by, say, 11.

Bonus 2: Try it, and let us know how it goes in a future post!

I shall.

4 comments:

Sally said...

I want to get up early to pray/ meditate too- I used to, but the habit has slipped- well done on the walking btw!
Good play

Apostle In Exile said...

1. I can't say that I've successfully broken a bad habit, but I've successfully adopted the very good habit of eating some chocolate every day

2. 12-step group for internet surfers? Heaven forbid! If YOU joined one, how would I ever find out what's on the internet?

3. Healthy obsession? Cats. They keep blood pressure down.

4. Habit that drives you crazy? Aforementioned cat insisting on sitting between me and computer monitor!

5. Get up early to pray? But you have to wait until a reasonable hour so GOD will be awake, too!
3.

Kirstin said...

Yay! You remembered your password!

Bill said...

Have you ever successfully quit a bad habit, - Actually I’ve gotten rid of a couple. I used to smoke and drink. On the smoking, one day it was raining, I had no smokes left and there I was scrounging around in the ashtray for an only slightly smoked butt. I was so disgusted, I quit. That was 40 years ago.
As far as the drinking, I went out with a few friends about four years ago. It was my birthday and I wasn’t supposed to be driving. My friends got toasted and I had to drive. I got pulled over by the police and ended up with a DUI. That cost me about 12,000 bucks over three years. I decided that it was too damn expensive to drink anymore. If you can’t depend on your friends to be the designated driver, then you have to depend on yourself.

"I'd love to get into the habit of getting up early to pray in the morning.
I don’t get up every morning and pray, but I do get up on Wednesdays and go to the 7:00 a.m. Eucharistic Service at St. Pauls. After the service I get to go to breakfast with my Elizabeth and just talk. It’s become a wonderful habit and I wouldn’t give it up for the world.