The Habit of Habits


Positive Habits

Positive habits are key to The Way of the Tortoise philosophy.

Simple daily repetition will create neural pathways in your brain that literally wire you for happiness. The act of consciously deciding which habits fill our day really can make the difference between living the life we desire or a pale imitation. 

It's very easy to fall into detrimental habits. The good news is that by forming positive, life affirming ones we have the opportunity to choose a happier path and enjoy the journey along the way.

Countless successful people across the globe cite habits such as journalling, gratitude, mindfulness, affirmation, meditation and contributing as key aspects of a fulfilling and happy life. Why not join them?

We are not always in control of what happens to us in life but we do have the power to choose how we live.



 

Self Reflection

We create harmony for ourselves by aligning our inner and outer worlds. If these two aspects of our 'self' are not in sync then conflict will arise. Often in the form of anger, frustration, unhappiness. It's impossible to say one thing and do another without feeling a sense of inner conflict. The question to ask your self is "Am I being true to myself?"

By spending a few minutes every day to reflect on and write down our values and desires we gain clarity about the important stuff. That's why journalling is essential to maintaining a healthy, positive outlook. It offers the opportunity to understand our inner desires without the influence of other people's opinions expectations and beliefs.

It's your life. Spend just 5 minutes of self reflection in the morning and 5 minutes before your head hits the pillow at night and once you have clarity about what you really what you want from life can you take the positive steps in the right direction.






The Power of Gratitude


Much has been written about the correlation between adopting an attitude of gratitude and happiness. The daily practice of appreciating what we already have keeps us mindful and living our life in the present.

With the stresses and strains of your day to day life, planning, adopting and then sticking to a set of positive habits is a challenge. That's where The Way of the Tortoise tips, tools, products and wisdom can offer some guidance.

 

Practice Gratitude: Start Small but Start Today:

Every morning after waking, clear your mind of yesterday's worries, anxieties and stresses by instead focus on the positive. Ask yourself what you have in your life that you can be grateful for right now? These things can be complex or simple, a roof over my head, my daughter's smile, my health, a good pair of shoes that keep out the rain. Whatever you choose the simple act of focussing on these things will cancel out negative thoughts (it's impossible to be simultaneously positive and negative so replace the negative with a positive emotion and feel of boost of endorphins. Give yourself the gift of starting your day right.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So try it for a week, month, 6 months, a year, the rest of your life.

You'll be glad you did.