Every moment you either reinforce an old habit or start a new one. The older the habit, the harder to break, and you'll find excuses to avoid change. Start with tiny actions like smiling or meditating. Small new patterns get easier over time and lead to the life you want.
And Babaji said you could only do two things. Ishan Chivanand, you can only do two things. One, either do the behavior that reinforces the old habit or start behavior that makes a new habit. That is All you can do in the morning when you wake up, if you have been having tea for 5 days and today also you choose to have tea, what you are doing? Reinforcing previous pattern. Yes or no? If today your wife comes to you and says a comment and you shout at her and you shout, then in shouting what you are doing? Reinforcing the previous pattern. And the thing about pattern, the thing about habit is the older it is, the harder it is to break. Yes or no? The older it is, the habit, and you try to go to the person to convince him, let us try to break this habit, the person will give you excuses. You go to an alcohol addict, let's stop alcohol. The older the habit, the more excuses he will make. I am just a social drinker. I am just doing for society. I can choose, I can drop it whenever I want. Oh, I have to do because of my friends. He will make excuses. I can't handle life without it. I am too stressed right now. Let the year end, end. It's only the New Year. In New Year if I don't I do, then when will I do? Is the celebration coming? In celebration I have to. Yes or no? He will give you excuses. Any habit you ask a person to break, they will give you excuse. The bigger the habit, the stronger the excuses. Understand this, the biggest gambler started from his first game. The biggest alcoholic started from his first drink. The biggest saint started from his first meditation. Yes or no? The biggest scholar started from the first page that he read. So today, when you are living your life, ask yourself, am I making a new pattern? Something, something that I want, a change in my life to happen. Why don't I start it today? It may be small, it may be something very simple like, like smiling at people. It may be very simple looking at a stray animal, giving it food. It may be very simple like sitting in meditation or being grateful. It can be very simple. But understand this which is simple is starting a new life for you. It is leading you to a life. That you wish to experience. So create this new pattern. And that is what we have to teach to all the people who are escaping and reinforcing their old patterns. Start somewhere. You have to start. And yes, in the beginning it may be tough. But as it goes deeper, it will become easier and easier and easier.
