0 Habit

_11.7.2021_ Hungry is natural, but it's also influenced strongly by habit. Tired, angry, comfort, happiness, are all influenced strongly by habit. Even self-identity is merely pattern created by habit. If I write every day I identify myself as a writer naturally. Luckily habit can be formed deliberately. Therefore almost everything is alterable. It's a good news indeed. I used to think that life is more or less about luck. If lucky, you were born beautiful and rich and smart. Now I think it doesn't matter. I can change my habit and my life, my happiness, my eating pattern, my work ethic, and so on. I can consciously choose what I want and really do it. It seems painful to work hard and study hard every single day but once it becomes a habit, it's just normal, no drama. One who eats once a day is not more miserable than one who eats ten times a day. It's just the habit, one gets used to it soon. What is painful at the beginning can turn into power and somewhat pleasurable. Some people sleep for eight or nine hours, some others sleep for only five hours. Some drink more water, some drink less water, and they are equally fine. Bad habits can destroy someone in the long run. Whatever my condition right now, happy or unhappy, it's because my habit. I just realized it this morning and I think it's very true. So many things are actually within my power to alter as long as it's about me. I can eat once a day and feel no hungry after it becomes my habit. I can read and finish one book every day without feeling tired once it becomes my habit. What becomes habit, it's easy to do. People often do not pay attention to their habits. They do not build the habit consciously with a clear purpose. They just follow what is pleasurable. It's possible that someone can do something every day and he still hates it like going to do chores or working. Most students after graduation from school they say good bye to reading and studying. They probably never really read books, they just do what is necessary and try to avoid it as they can. Living in poverty, or being single, people get used to it. It feels okay actually. Sherlock Holmes can read people easily because nothing happens randomly. My body shape is the result of my eating habit. It's not a coincidence to have big belly or darker skin, or dirty face. My room is very messy because I have habit to put anything around and no habit to tidy up. From today, my room will be tidy like a hotel room. It's clean and tidy all the time because I build a new habit to tidy and clean up my room. It's up to me to have or not to have a clean and tidy bedroom. I used to take it for granted, I do not take responsibility. I keep unnecessary stuffs that make my room messy and dirty. I keep unnecessary files on my computer and phones that slowing down the performance. I still think that one day it will be useful. I keep and keep and keep without letting go. I am crazy to wish to have a tidy room with such behavior and habit. It's a matter of minutes to clean a room, to tidy stuffs, to do exercise, or to read books. It's actually easy to do. To change an old habit is not easy. Even obviously bad habit is hard to change. It's like to pull out a tree with long roots. The habit has causes and before I learn and remove the causes, the habit will be there. The habit of using social media compulsively is caused by lonely, low self-esteem, the need of friends and so on can't be easily changed without fixing the real causes. If it's deep rooted in the psychology, it's almost impossible to remove it. The habit of smoking, drinking alcohol, shopping, watching TV, eating sugary foods, masturbating, and all kinds of pleasures are hard to be removed. One must have stronger reason to stop it. I heard a piece of good advice somewhere that "to change you must change the environment". People adapt to the environment. Their behavior is often the respond of environment. Whether people live healthy lifestyle, exercise, eating healthy foods, read books and so on depend on the environment. I eat rice because everyone around me eat rice. I have certain religious belief because my family has that belief. If my environment is military school, I am a student in it, I will behave like one. I can't the importance of environment. I can't live in a jungle of Africa and become a reader or religious. I behave according to the environment. Today most people are addicted to their smart phone because everyone else do the same. It's acceptable behavior and normal. A study shows that people can change their behavior unconsciously according to the change of environment. If everyone speak Mandarin, I'll speak mandarin too. It's hard to be rich in the middle of poor people. They are not lazy or uninterested to be rich, they do not know how to be one. Environment is one important factor that can't be neglected. I realize that to be rich I need to move to the environment that suitable for that. People often do not want to change and move to the new environment. If one lives in North Korea, it's impossible for him or her to behave like one who lives in America. Those who behave so badly still think that it's their best option. It's often caused by ignorance or environment. All people want to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. When they behave the opposite way, they often have no choice, at least to their comprehension. So whether someone can change or not, it depends on several factors; knowledge, environment, and unknown factors such as hormones, genes, and so on. To judge poor people lazy is maybe not fair. So many of them work really hard and sometimes it's for nothing.