Creatures of Habit

This is a picture of my husband trying desperately to reroute our two dogs to another path. Nod your head if you know what I'm talking about. I see you. We have to lovely black dogs who have lots of lovely green grass on which to use their lovely padded paws. But this right here is all they use. . back and forth. . . back and forth. . . all day long. So, we set up hurdles and poles, and guess what--in a week there will be another path, right next to it. Because apparently it isn't just human souls that like the comfort of well worn paths.

Changing paths is a tough thing. Habits die hard and neurons take time to be rewired. Can it happen? Absolutely. But it takes time to wear down the new trails in our brain. Trust me, I've been trying to quit eating sugar for a month now. Changing the paths we've worn down isn't easy and it isn't quick.

I keep looking this lawn and then looking at myself. I'm wearing down some good paths in my brain. I have lots of good habits: yoga, personal scripture study, brushing my teeth, saying my prayers, hugging my kids, I say please and thank you with regularity, I write in my journal every day. Wow, I'm actually doing pretty well. So, do the few well worn paths in my brain that I don't love mean I'm doing a lousy job at life? Nope, not at all. I think it just means I'm living life and carving my way as I go. I just need to put in some hurdles and obstacles and be patient with the rewiring process. A new path will come, one day at a time.