"Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself" - Summary

To break the habit of being yourself and create a new, ideal self, it is crucial to overcome the influence of your environment, body, and time. Most people's thoughts and emotions are shaped by their surroundings, physical sensations, and the passage of time. To change, you must think and feel greater than these factors, becoming more observant of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

One way to achieve this is through meditation, which helps you become more aware of your internal environment and develop a stronger connection with your ideal self. By practicing meditation regularly, you can learn to observe your thoughts and emotions without being controlled by them, allowing you to make conscious choices about how you want to think, feel, and act.

For example, if you are trying to overcome a negative emotion such as anger, you can use meditation to become more aware of the thought patterns and physical sensations associated with this emotion. By recognizing these patterns, you can choose to replace them with more positive thoughts and feelings, ultimately changing your behavior and creating a new, ideal self.

In addition to meditation, it is essential to develop a clear vision of your ideal self and practice visualizing this new version of yourself in various situations. This process helps you create a mental blueprint for change, making it easier to adopt new habits and behaviors in your daily life.

One study that illustrates the power of overcoming the environment, body, and time is the famous "marshmallow experiment" conducted by psychologist Walter Mischel. In this study, children were given the choice to eat one marshmallow immediately or wait for a short period and receive two marshmallows. The children who were able to delay gratification and wait for the second marshmallow demonstrated greater self-control and the ability to think beyond their immediate environment and physical desires.

In conclusion, to break the habit of being yourself and create a new, ideal self, it is essential to overcome the influence of your environment, body, and time. By becoming more observant of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and practicing meditation and visualization, you can create lasting change and achieve your full potential.