Practice is habit with a purpose

 

Spirit tells me that practice is habit, but an intentional one,

With a goal, and requires intent to improve or maintain

What we have developed in skills or in establishing

A way of life.

 

Practice can result in patterns of behaviour; physical, intellectual,

Emotional and, or spiritual that may appear to some others to be

No more than habits.

 

There is also the danger, He cautions, of practice becoming

No more than a habit, when intention is no longer involved.

 

How can I be sure that I still have intention?

 

Are you satisfied?

 

No.

 

Are you still making progress?

 

Yes, but …

 

Even a little is more than none.

 

 

 

Habits can become Addictions

 

Spirit tells me that habits are consciously developed

Patterns of behaviour or self-discipline with, or

Without intent to integrate them into one’s way of life.

 

Habits can serve a useful purpose in preparing for

Competitions, exams, performances, goals, etc., or

Just to maintain a chosen lifestyle.

 

Habits can also become addictions, when they no

Longer serve any useful purpose in one’s life, but

At some point in time the habit has taken control

Over will power.

 

I sense a question coming.

 

Yes. Which am I?

 

You are my teacher.

 

Then I still serve a useful purpose in your life?

 

You know the answer to that.

 

Yes.

 

 

 

Over will power.

 

How we live develops patterns

Spirit suggests that I become increasingly aware of

The patters of thought, emotion, and behaviour that

I am developing.

 

How we live each lifetime is important, He tells me,

Not just for this particular lifetime but also for how

It will influence future lifetimes.

 

How we respond to any challenge that Life

Presents us with affects and is affected by

The individual patterns of thought, emotion, and

Behaviour that we have developed.

 

These lifestyle patterns; for they are styles among

Countless other styles, tend to become habitual

Ways of responding, or reacting, to whatever.

 

Our thoughts and emotions, He tells me, are

Different types of energies that harmonize, or

Do not. How we understand and respond to

Experience expresses both thought and emotion.

 

Spirit asks me to become increasingly aware that

My individual energies and how well they harmonize

With each other will, does, affect everyone and

Everything in my life, Himself included.

 

What an awesome responsibility.

 

Yes.

 

 

 

Choosing gives meaning to our life

Spirit tells me that

It is by choosing how we live,

And why, that gives

Meaning to our life

Our lifestyle consists of

Chosen patterns of activity

And these patterns of behaviour

Can become fixed and rigid, or

They can dissolve into nothingness,

Unless we are aware of how

They serve us and when.

 

Awareness, alone, is not enough,

He tells me. We must

Continuously choose to adapt

Our thinking, our emotional

responses, and, our attitude

To life, if we choose

To develop a more meaningful

Lifestyle, wherein

Our daily patterns of activity

Are in harmony with our goal,

To transform the way we live

Our life.