230507 What I learned in my studies this morning 3

New sins for old!

Come out and try a fancy new adultery or how about a nice addiction? A classic, that one.

New sins for old!

Could I interest you inna mysterious foreign jealousy? Take a look at this gluttony over here? Quality workmanship that.

New sins for old!

Thoughts:

I'm a stickler for old sins. I rarely commit new ones, just repeats of all-time faves. Chains they are, indeed.

So, I've tried the usual bad habit breakers. Identifying precursors to pattern interrupt. Self-discipline and willpower. Cognitive distancing. Depreciation by analysis. Functional analysis. Suggesting substitute actions.

How bloody simple it is for me to talk myself around such defenses. I hear myself saying "This is a bad idea." and "I shouldn't do this." and "How about we do this good thing instead?" and yet it's as though they were said by a third person, as if I weren't saying them to myself and therefore I can let them just be background noise while I continue destructive behavior XYZ.

So what change can I make today to limit these bad habits? What can I do, today, to make a small difference?

Then set that small difference in stone, celebrate it, allow myself that tiny victory, and try to chip off another bit tomorrow.

Incremental improvement is good. I don't have to have mastery in a single step.

Today's Meditation: