127 5 MM The Spaces Between the Habits
Hello my friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo. If you have been listening to ZEN commuter and Five Minute Mojo for a while you know that orchestrating your life is on some level what we are doing here. We are learning new ways to look at life in an effort to become calmer and more purposeful. Some other great podcasters are doing the same thing. Lewis Howes, John Lee Dumas, Ellen Hendriksen and Eric Zimmer to name a few all have a similar goal, yet they approach it from their own perspective. But one thing we all agree on is the importance of good habits.
Each of us understand that the things we do repeatedly make us who we are. Yet only on some level. I certainly love routines of positive habits that make up my day. However, as much as I find value in those habitual acts there is something to be said about the moments between the habits, the random occurrences, the people you meet.
We can’t plan every moment of our day. It’s good to have a framework for going about your day but sticking to it rigidly not only lessens your ability to grow but it makes for a pretty monotonous life. Good habits are, well, good, but I don’t want to live my life fully as a drone, mechanically carrying out a series of tasks, no matter how meaningful or positive they are.
So how do we that? How do we embrace positive habits and also allow ourselves the flexibility to experience other instances? It’s not always easy, but it is possible. I liken it to when I was learning to drive. My Dad taught me and one thing I remember him saying is that you need to drive with your attention in two places; one, right at the front of the car, at the hood. And the other further down the road ahead of you. He said that by having your attention at the front of the car you become aware of its dimensions. You have the ability to know the size of the car you are driving. You know where you can go, where your car will fit in regards to other cars.
By having your attention on the road up ahead, you can see potential areas to be aware of, whether it’s traffic, an accident or what have you. What a great metaphor for what I am talking about.
Just like with driving you need to have your focus on what the big picture is, you need to be able to see down the road. And you need have your focus on the hood, knowing all of your car to see where it is in relation to other cars. Accordingly you need to have your focus on what’s going on around you in this moment.
With your attention in two places you are able to be safe where you are on the road and you know what’s ahead. With the car metaphor, if you put all your focus on the road ahead you could hit cars right next to you. And if you are driving with your focus solely on your car, you can’t see where you are heading to or the obstacles down the road that may slow you down.
When you wake up, know what you working towards, but don’t be so focused that you don’t see the beauty around you. Don’t simply be a collection of habits. Be a collection of habits that understand that they Universe is going to show you things that don’t fit in the confines of a routine.
Some of the greatest lessons I have learned in this life came from moments I was expecting. Some of the most profound meditations I have had started off with one goal and then morphed into something completely different.
The thing that absolutely lifts me up daily is to see where life’s randomness is actually harmonized. Random occurrences weren’t so random at all, they just appeared that way. What seemed aberrant was carefully and effortlessly planned but the Universe.
I would say that on some level, creating habits is a bit of ego. It’s an amazingly good and effective thing to do. Don’t get me wrong. It is incredibly effective and productive. But on some level it is the attempt to control your days, to put meaning to them. And while that is awesome, the Universe has meaning for you as well and it may not fit in the context of a habit. It may come in the form of a stranger needing assistance. It may come from a smile you garner as you pass by someone on the street. Regardless of what it is or where it comes from, the only way you will be able to benefit form it is to become aware of the spaces between the habits.
Alright world, are you ready for your question of the day? When was the last time you deviated from your daily routine and what is one thing that you learned in that moment or perhaps the entire day. That may seem obtuse but think about the places you last visited for the first time, a star you don’t usually go in or an errand that you had to do that came out of the blue. What happened at those times that helped you grow?
It’s a long weekend for those in the U.S. but regardless of where you are on this planet, make it a great weekend. Thank you so much for joining me today. I love you all. This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo. Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and of course, sweet dreams.
