We Are Creatures of Habit

Good morning, folks, everywhere :-)
As is my habit, I am using the lazy Saturday (well...I already did the habitual weekend laundry, the shopping and the hoovering) to write a post for Rays of Light (and for The Entertainment Whacko, as it happens. This will probably become a new habit).

What I would like to share with you all today is that I am reading a fascinating book at the moment, by journalist Charles Duhigg, called "The Power of Habit".

Since it is my habit to post an inspiring photo after my first two paragraphs, I will not divert from this. Here you are: hope you'll like it.

What attracted me to Mr Duhigg's book in the first place was the blurb stating (and I quote) "...an empowering discovery: the key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive or even building revolutionary companies is to understanding how habits work."

Wow! This man, not knowing me from Eve, knows exactly what my issues in life are! He only missed one: nurturing a happy marriage. But still: kudos!

I am a sucker for books, and I immediately craved this one. (Later on, in chapter 2, Duhigg explained to me that this is quite normal for me. I happen to have a craving brain. So do you, by the way!)

The book burnt a hole in my bag, but I had to postpone until I reached home and bed, hours later. But then I could not stop reading. I had to force myself to put it away and turn off the light, resulting in a zombie-like day at school yesterday.

Long story short (in fact the first part of the book): we are creatures of habit, all of us, so much so that we spend our lives habitually craving things in order to reap rewards we are not even aware of and which are often downright bad for us.

Now, it is not my intention to steal Duhigg's thunder, if you want to know the details you simply will have to buy and read his book.

But what I do want to share with you is that, for the first time in 20 years of gradually gaining weight and struggling with that issue, I began to have an inkling why (to name but one thing) it is so damn hard for me to lose it. And why I was effortlessly skinny when I was single. And how (!) I should be able to to turn things around and shed those extra un-needed and uncomfortable kilos.

He gives loads of examples, and they are a good read as well as very interesting. So far I've read up to Part Two, so I have two-thirds of the book still to go. Perhaps I'll do another post about the rest after I've finished, perhaps not. It is my habit to be unpredictable that way.

So, guys and girls, if you are struggling with your cravings as well, in any way, this could be an eye-opener for you as well. Check it out!

(It's a pity my old dog can't read; she could do with this and all!)

Right. You are used to my habit of ending with another photograph. So I'll do. Wouldn't want to upset your habit loop. Or mine.