“One bad habit often spoils a dozen good ones.”
Good habits are hard to build in your life, but bad habits are quite easy to adopt within a second. Bad habits are pleasing and amusing in the very beginning, but later on it will start killing you every moment, silent and quietly. Hence, before your bad habits will start dwelling inside you and make a thick layer in your life, wear it out as soon as possible.
A Burmese Christian tells the following parable about habits:
A little banyan seed said to a palm tree one day, “I am tired of being tossed about by the wind; let me lodge in your branches.”
“Stay as long as you like; be my guest,” was the reply. Soon the tree forgot all about its tiny guest, but the seed did not remain idle. Immediately, it began to work its roots under the bark and into the heart of the trunk itself.
Finally the palm tree cried out, “What are you doing?”
“I’m only the little seed you allowed to rest among your branches,” came the reply from the little banyan tree.
“Get out!” exclaimed the palm. “You’ve become too large and strong!”
“I cannot leave you now,” said the banyan. “We have grown up together, and it would kill you if I tore myself away now.”
The tree tried desperately to shake itself loose, but to no avail. Eventually its graceful leaves turned brown and its trunk wasted away; but the banyan continued to thrive until its host could no longer be seen.
What is the hidden moral in this parable?
• Habits are developed by repetition.
• Always be vigilant to recognize whatever you do or act.
• Guard yourself from the bad habits.
• Don’t stick with any bad habits.
• Get rid of it as soon as possible.
“The chains of habits are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”
Examples of bad habits:
• Gambling
• Prostitution
• Stealing/ theft
The other bad habits are:
• Hatreds
• Anger
• Envy
• Greed
• Ego
• Laziness
Hatreds: Never ever hate anyone in your life. Your hatred will only bring you unhappiness and worries in your life. Give up the habit of hatred and embrace love and compassion in your life. Your hatred will create differences and boundaries in your life.
“One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me- such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.”
---Bhagwad Gita
Falsehood: Always be truthful to yourself as well as to your beloved ones. Never take the path of falsehood in your life. Your falsehood will only break the beautiful relationships in your life. You couldn’t build any relationship in your life with falsehood.
Anger: Anger is just one word short of ‘D-anger’. Your anger, not only burns you, but also burns your beloved ones, family members, relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbors. When you get angry, your mind, heart, body and soul will stop working. You will block your own six senses and intelligence, and eager to burn down whatever comes on your way. It is because of anger many people commit many unseen blunders in their lives.
“The anger leads to stupidity and stupidity causes confused memory. A confused memory destroys the wisdom. When the wisdom is destroyed, the man goes astray and he becomes a fallen one.”
---Bhagwad Gita
Whenever you get angry, just self-affirm yourself while closing your both eyes and taking a deep breathing: I ’m peace……
I’m very peaceful…..
My mind is peace….
My heart is peace…..
My body is peace….
My soul is peace…..
Everything is peace in my life…..
…………………………..
Envy: Do you feel envious of anyone in your day to day life? Do you feel envious of your family member’s progress? Do you feel envious of your relative growth? Do you feel envious of your friend’s success? Do you feel envious of your colleague’s promotion? Do you feel envious of your neighbor’s happiness?
“He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.”
---Bhagwad Gita
Greed: Greed is like a thirst that couldn’t be quenched by anyone, no matter how much you could try to fulfill it. Many people lost their hard earned money and wealth in gambling and betting only because of greed. Once you trap yourself in the cage of greed, you will find yourself in the door of downfall and failure. Free yourself from the disease of greed, otherwise, it will kill you every moment.
“There are three gates leading to this hell- lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.”
---Bhagwad Gita
Ego: Don’t allow your mind, heart and soul to become egoistic. Your egoistic nature will always lead you to the world of self-destruction. Your ego makes you selfish, self-centered, arrogant and haughty in your life. You will become like the ten headed Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, who was killed by Lord Rama. Ravana was the most learned king of the universe who knew all the Vedas. However, due to his egoistic nature, he couldn’t recognize the human reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, and adducted the consort of Lord Rama. And in the decisive battle, Lord Rama killed Ravana.
---Bhagwad Gita
Attachment: Love and compassion are the basic foundation of human relationships. Without love and compassion, we couldn ’t live our life. But attachment is different from love and compassion. Attachment is attached to love and compassion without responsibility. Attachment is only needed and care. It is like the bondage. For instance, if an infant couldn’t get milk and care, it starts crying. It doesn’t understand love and compassion. It only understands attachment.
“While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.”
---Bhagwad Gita
Laziness: Are you a lazy person? No! Very good. Excellent. Nobody likes a lazy person. It is the fact. If you become lazy in your life, then you are the sole responsible for your own failure.
Now, you have to decide what you want to become in your life- a horse or a donkey. There is no place for a lazy person in this world; there is only place for an active and energetic person in this world. Your laziness is the biggest enemy of your own growth and progress.
“And that happiness which is blind to self-realization, which is delusion from beginning to end and which arises from sleep, laziness and illusion is said to be the nature of ignorance.”
---Bhagwad Gita
Procrastination: Do you always complete and finish your work in time? Or do you always procrastinate to complete your work for the next day, next week, next month and next year?
If you always procrastinate your work for the next day; next week, next month and next year, then you are not procrastinating your work; but you are creating the hurdles in your own path of growth and development.
Why many people fail in their lives? And why only few handfuls of people become successful in their lives?
The only reason behind is the habit of one’s own procrastination.
“The worker who is always engaged in work against the injunctions of the scripture, who is materialistic, obstinate, cheating and expert in insulting others, and who is lazy, always morose and procrastinating is said to be a worker in the mode of ignorance.”
---Bhagwad Gita
Good Habits:
• Help you to grow in your life.
• Lead you to the right direction.
• Build your life.
• Develop your good character.
• You will never fall in any trouble.
• You will earn a good name.
• You will get respect and honor.
• People will attract towards you.
• You will always remain happy.
• You will witness your success.
Bad habits:
• You will fall down in your life.
• Guide you to a worse life.
• Lead you to the wrong direction.
• Ruin your life.
• Develop your bad character.
• You will always fall in trouble.
• You will earn a bad name.
• You will get disregard and dishonor.
• People will hate you.
• You will always remain unhappy.
• You will witness your failures and setbacks.
“First we form habits; then they form us. Conquer your bad habits, or they will conquer you.”
---Rob Gilbert
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