one
thousand words daily
Day 12: creatures of habit
Whether
inherent or purpose-driven, we all learn and develop habits and patterns upon
action. Once we try something and it
works, we tend to stick to it like gum to a shoe, just as well as people we choose
to involve in our lives. Some habits are
good habits, the best method chosen by us to get the things we need, done. Some habits are destructful, unsafe and
unhealthy, yet for us it is the choice we’ve made which we’re either
comfortable or not completely comfortable with. Other habits are revered by
those that know us and might be building us as well as others we know up
positively.
I chose a picture of me up top with a blunt in my hat, once which either held cannabis or one I unrolled to re-roll a little tobacco cigarette. This to me is one vice, not exactly blunts, but tobacco products in general. Habit forming can be either physical or psychological and even both. Some habits die fast while others, due to addiction or convenience often prove difficult to shake, like a large, heavy apple jug filled with of coins. Collecting coins is a good thing though. Collecting bad habits can prove destructive and oftentimes fatal, such as driving fast or driving without a seatbelt.
Sometimes
it is an action or decision that forces us to shift the way we think or
sometimes it is a personal choice we’ve made without influence. I for one have learned that eating too much
salt, just might kill a brotha. I like
eating out as much as anyone that can afford the opportunity but there are some
things that I cannot eat. For instance,
when I have pizza at a family gathering or church gathering, I have to consider
the salt factor and turn it down. I can
no longer assume that the food “looks okay,” and that it might not make me feel
sick.
action
I had to take a pro-active stance in my own
well-being and monitor the food I’m offered as well as what I choose to buy at
the local grocery stores. I’m not
fortunate enough at this time to eat everything and buy everything I need due
to my financial circumstances yet I still hold choice to say no thank you and
tell myself “Hell-to-the-No!” The same
goes for the way and patterns I exhibit among others. For instance, when my ten year old son
visits, his diet is different than mine.
His mother, after meeting a new man, decided to go completely
vegan. This I have small problems with,
especially since he is a growing boy and we have noticed that he gets cold fast
in a warmed swimming pool.
I
attribute this to him lacking the proper nutrition. I have also noticed how she polices him to a “T”,
yet lets her other children run amok and be disrespectful. Aside from him not having his own personal
toys at age ten and him afraid to bring things home because they will get
broken by his little brother, I have some issues to address or else I see them
negatively impact my boy, as well as eat away at me. While I get the opportunity to spend time
with him, what I can do is show him the positivity, love and encouragement he
seeks and at the same time allowing him the freedom with guidance necessary for
healthy development. I remember when I
wasn’t such a happy kid and that’s what our goal should be… to make it so our
kids know it better than we do, get shown love beyond what we were shown,
without the pain and unnecessary struggles.
One
bad habit I had to shake along with others such as cigarettes was
complaining. I made a nasty habit out of
complaining. It is not that the
complaints weren’t warranted, it is that they served no purpose. For one, no one wants to hear me complaining,
yes folks will listen but who wants to hear negativity so much when there’s
already enough of that everywhere? I for
one was told by my fiancé as well as my mother.
a needed change
within
I had no idea that I had become some bitter
muthafucka, complaining about every pain, ache, injustices and things which at
the moment I had no control over. Yes we
can do many things to change our situation as well as the world around us
however there are methods that prove more effective than others. There is also a time and a place for
everything. For one I had to realize
that in spite of the injustices which occur that “no one owes me anything.” I also had to realize that I was not the only
one in that situation and that if I wanted to change things on a grander scale,
that I had to scale down my approach and organize, perhaps contacting the
right folks and being the right presence, as well as in the right state of
mind.
Quitting
cigarettes is something that I have been struggling with a bit, yet they make
me feel sick, nauseous, and I had some strange growths and I know that free
radicals, such as the ones found in processed food and tobacco might have been
the cause. My uncle had emphysema,
asthma and my grandpa John passed from too much tobacco use. I’m
still healing from the recent surgery I just had Monday to remove them, finding
good sleep has been a bitch, but I’m forever thankful I don’t have those
painful lumps anymore. It was a quick
surgery, only an hour but I suspect there is one more (an itchy son of a gun I
tell ya) in there as I have told them.
We will see what happens after more tests and junk.
for the future
Developing
good habits benefits our children as well. I know we might not think about it but
everything we say and do, directly affects our children and the quality of life
we hope to give them. My son has
developed healthy eating habits because of his mother as well as because of how
I chose to feed him. My issue is, is he
getting the proper nutrition he needs being a vegan?
My father had some input on the subject, such as I should not discourage
him from the healthy education he is getting, which is contrary from the heavy
consumption messages fed to us through media in commercials and TV. These messages tend to advocate what the companies want, not necessarily what we in fact
need.
My
thing is, my son isn’t going to get obese if we let him have a slice of
non-gluten free cake with sugar in it… on his fucking birthday alright! At the same time I acknowledge that we are
creatures of habit and I see what happens when children later rebel. The last thing I want is for my son to reject
everything he was taught, simply because he was forced and brainwashed a
certain way. I see all of the good and
the bad shit and right now I am not a happy pappy. Matter of fact; let me call my son and his…
not so understanding and yielding mom now. "Everything in moderation," my beautiful wife to be reminds me. I wish you Persistence, Prosperity, Purpose, Patience and Inner-Peace y’all. Poem below!
Crows circle in skies then rain down
in sideways torrents
Raiding the unsuspecting nest, picking
to shreds
Baby birds within and out of eggs
another failed to protect
While we too move in obvious
directions
Repeating patters both positive while
trying to blot out the negative
For the purpose of pleasure, want,
necessity and for some, simple addictions and sex but
Do we too neglect our once carefully
watered seeds?
Do we tend to go with the flow of things
as we are expected yet
Become blinded to the point we fail to
stand for truths, leading to neglect?
As our purpose solidifies furthermore
in more than just our own mind’s eye
We raise fists, as well as the future
against forces unseen and
In-between struggle and the hustle
both understandings do collide
When we begin to place trust and love
in the spot where we once placed pride
Hope then beams from unstoppable rays
like the Sahara sun
Drying up the lies while rich aquifers
flow underneath shifting sands
Dismembering lies while bringing
abundance into everyone’s lives
Learning as many times it takes to
heal within and properly provide
Bringing abundance in gift form
contrary to the norm with sword by our sides
Replacing a vice with habitual healthy
tasks which last for legacies
For no parasite or scavenger to grab
with ease while simply flying by
Winged Habits
8-28-2018
