So, one more from the Power of Habit book... (If you read yesterday's, Where's Your Chocolate?...)
They speak about another test...
They have these monkey's in a room pressing a button when something comes up on the screen (cue). When they push the button (behavior), they get a little bit of juice (reward).
They have monkey's do this test and they see the same pattern as with the rats. Once they have been doing the drill for a while, as soon as the screen shows the figure (cue), they start already feeling the pleasure of the juice (reward).
Then they modify the test. Halfway through the test, they stop the test and offer the monkeys the chance to go play outside (something they normally LOVE to do).
The monkey's that have not yet developed the "habit" are thrilled to go outside. They leave the test willingly and happily.
The monkey's that have developed a "habit" don't go outside. They become agitated, angry, frustrated. They stay inside even though the screen is turned off and keep hitting the button wanting, expecting, desiring the juice.
Most of us live in the land of plenty - with great comfort, limitless channels, abundant sugar and snacks, and warmth in our homes. By and large, we enjoy freedom and peace in our lives, and as much as we may hate government and politics they generally stay out of our way.
The monkeys are starting to demonstrate the dangers of CRAVINGS... CRAVINGS happen when you EXPECT the reward, but don't get it. And, when we live our lives out of habit, we expect rewards ALL THE TIME as soon as we get the cue... whatever that may be.
This is why achieving a meaningful compensation is such a difficult topic. It is because the moment you get compensated at a certain level, it becomes the given. What you do to earn your living becomes largely "automatic".
This is why kids (and adults) have a tough time leaving their video games, their phones... we create digital habits that bring us short term pleasure... and then we get cravings that are constant and somewhat insatiable. When we get the opportunity to "go outside", or "have a meaningful conversation", or "try something new", or "something that we used to love to do..." We sit there pushing the button over and over, waiting for our reward...
CRAVING is WISHING...
And, WISHING is DISHARMONY...
We get to a point in living a life of habit where we simply expect comfort, expect more...
And when anyone proposes changes, it puts our known reward at risk... and we get defensive, and we push back on change.
Ultimately there are good habits and bad habits, and so there are good cravings and bad cravings...
But, I would argue what is MOST IMPORTANT is to maintain a MINDFULNESS to ALL OF OUR HABITS... To create a daily habit of mindfulness... It is the only way that you can stay truly in control of your mind, of your thoughts and thus OF YOUR ACTIONS...
I see it all around me (and in myself)... We are "creatures of habit", and if we are not committed to habits that help us LEARN, we start living a routine life of stagnation. We start doing the same things over and over again. We limit our minds to the same solution set. We don't need to ask questions because we already know all of the answers.
There are two types of monkeys in the test - the MONKEY who is still grateful and happy to go outside, and the MONKEY who has locked into a single source of pleasure and is angry at any other outcome. The monkey who remains open to new experiences and the monkey that has become slave to his craving.
There are two types of human beings - that I believe mirror the same dynamics.
The ones committed to learning, and the ones who believe they know all they need to know.
The ones open to change, and the ones who resist change.
The ones who believe their best is still ahead of them, and the ones who believe their best has already happened.
The ones who embrace their imperfection, and the ones afraid to fail.
The ones who continue to ask questions with a sense of wonderment, and the ones who ridicule the question askers because they should already know the answers.
Which MONKEY are you?
Are you aware of the cravings in your life? Of the habits creating those cravings?
Are you the one still asking yourself questions... still trying SINCERELY to become stronger, smarter, kinder, better?
Or, are you one of the ones pissed off at the world because not everyone is "as smart as you are"?
What CRAVINGS drive your life? What CRAVINGS keep you from playing outside?
Mindfulness is not only about shifting ourselves out of automatic into manual transmission...
Mindfulness is about getting out of the car... choosing to walk... then allowing yourself to walk down a completely different path...
Mindfulness is about checking in with your sense of wonder... your sense of creativity... your sense of uniqueness... your believe in BETTER.
The rats, the monkey's, the human beings... our brains are all so very similar in some ways... our biology dictates SOME of how we think...
But, unlike monkeys and rats... we possess a consciousness... that makes us so very unique... that gives us the possibility of deliberate action... of a deliberately GREAT LIFE!
Ultimately, habits are choices are minds make which lead to actions... and through repetition... the actions become automatic no longer requiring our volition, our deliberateness, our minds, our thoughtfulness...
And, we possess a consciousness... that we can choose to engage... that we can choose to embrace...
in each moment...
that leads us to question...
that leads us to wonder...
that leads us to experience...
JOY...
What do you TRULY, DELIBERATELY crave?
Which monkey ARE you?
Which monkey DO YOU WANT to be?
in harmony,
Nestor