Strange Love, Strange Habits
I made the very difficult decision in October 2006 to stop watching television. Initially, I was bored and wondered what to do with the extra time. Eventually I engaged in other, more productive, habits that added meaning to my life and offered me more opportunities to grow as an individual.
I stopped watching television because I really believed that Flava Flav and Brigitte Nielsen were in love on their reality show, STRANGE LOVE. I knew more about their lives and the lives and habits of other celebrities than I knew about my own life. I even scheduled my daily activities around the schedules of my favorite shows and would spend even more time talking about various episodes with anyone who would engage me. How sad!
A habit is any action or behavior we have performed so frequently that it becomes almost involuntary. If we consider some habits to be undesirable then we call them “bad” and try to figure out ways to change. When you can acknowledge that a habit isn’t good for you, that lets you know that you are making a conscious choice every time you do it – thus making it no longer involuntary.
However, for me it was more difficult to acknowledge my habit as bad. I loved watching television and I didn’t want to stop. But once I labeled it as, ‘bad’, it was my responsibility to then make a choice.
We all have habits that don’t serve us and prevent us from reaching our goals. Yes, change is difficult.
The simple acknowledgment of a bad habit may be just enough to help you begin to make slow, positive changes in your life. There is real value in acknowledging which of our habits are holding us back.
What habit, big or small, do you need to change? What small action can you take today, right now, to improve your life?
“Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.” Confucius
Comments
I have been giving serious thought to giving up the 200 channel package I have from the cable company and cutting back to the very basic 20 channel package. Can I live without local professional sports teams that are all on cable only? Can my wife live without HGTV?
I completely agree that TV can take over your evenings. We only watch a few hours a week as it is, so would I feel better saving $75 a month? Yes.
Thanks for the encouragement, especially since you’ve been at it for 4 years.
[Reply]
Laurie Reply:
August 28th, 2010 at 5:17 am
Hi RetirementLover,
Glad to hear you’re giving it serious thought! That sounds like a positive choice, indeed.
[Reply]
Hi Laurie – Sometimes we feel called to speak to strangers…something catches our eye…a beautiful dog, cool jacket, or an awesome green hat like the one you were wearing at the airport today. Compliments make the world go round. I truly believe this. Although most of the time these brief encounters are just that…brief, a few “compliment” moments turn into conversations.
…And that’s where I found myself today with you. Our little conversation was a wonderful surprise, and I said goodbye to you and your friend with a smile on my face and the understanding that we had a shared interest in both hats and dance. Yay for random conversations and finding a great resource for buying cool tap shoes (you)!
…Yay also for a thoughtful blog entry that compelled me to respond.
I too gave up cable, but it was back in 1992. I was 17 and had just graduated high school. Upon moving into my 1st apartment an hour from home, I was ready to explore the world “and to learn all that it had to teach” as Thoreau would say. With little money left over at the end of the month and the knowledge that I had to get off the couch to explore the world, my budget helped me to make what I felt back then was the hardest decision I would ever have to make.
It’s now 2010, I’ve faced many harder decisions, and such things as digital cable and satellite exist. Do I miss watching television? Yeah, I’ll admit it…sometimes I do, but my life is so much fuller without having a television to come home to at night. Instead of watching someone else live over the Fall season, I get to embrace all that I ask of life and all that it chooses to reveal to me. The interesting thing about really living though is that I’ve had a lot of people to ask “how do you find time to do all that you do?”. Sadly, when I respond, “It’s simple…I don’t watch TV,” their crinkled smile reveals that they will probably never share my “television-less” way of life.
Warm Regards,
Sherri
Film is art, Theatre is Life, Television is Furniture. – Author Unknown
[Reply]
laurie Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 6:13 am
Hi Sherri,
How thoughtful of you to share your wonderful experiences with me. I
was thrilled after our two minute airport encounter. When you walked
away my friend thought I was being funny when I said, “great meeting
you.” He didn’t believe we had just met.
Thanks for the wonderful feedback and yes, I miss watching television too.
Keep dancing and keep in touch.
[Reply]
I harmonise with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your upcoming updates. I concur with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your future updates. Saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the fantasti c lucidity in your writing. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay privy of any updates. Solid work and much success in your enterprize!
[Reply]