Compass of the Times 263

Trying Something New

Keiko Takahashi

A Year Unlike Any Other

January and February are the coldest periods of the year. How are you spending the start of the new year amidst this bitter cold?

“This year, I want to walk a different path than before.”

Many people likely hold this wish.

Yet, even with such wishes, starting a new way of life is not something one can simply do by thinking, “If I want to, I can.”

You set new resolutions, but before you know it, you are spending your time just as you always have. Is this not the reality for many?

Overcoming the Rut of Habit Formation = Labor Saving

The reason for this is because our way of life is governed by “inertia,” which refers to the property of an object in motion to continue in the same state unless acted upon by an external force. Extending this concept, we think that “inertia” is at work when things or ways of life continue unchanged.

Much of the “inertia” we experience is maintained by habit. Our way of life is, in a sense, a collection of habits. Everything from walking, running, brushing teeth, washing our face, to eating with chopsticks is sustained by habit.

It does not stop there. Even the mind process generated moment by moment, such as Sense, Emotional Perception, Thought, and Action, cannot be separated from the habit that repeats the same actions.

The “abomination” I explored as a theme in my book The Mind Force is also one of the most deeply rooted sources of habit.

“Abominations” distort even our very way of perceiving things. It prevents us from seeing things as they are, distorting them in a particular direction and imposing a biased interpretation. Once that switch is flipped, we inevitably feel the same way, dominated by habitual sensibilities.

We must further consider that the brain is highly energy-conserving, rapidly automating or habituating anything that can be.

Of course, it does this so we can channel our energy into new situations that require truly fresh responses, judgments, and creativity. This is extremely important and necessary. If we were to relearn walking, brushing teeth, or getting dressed from scratch every time, we would waste enormous amounts of time and energy on these daily routines.

However, once something becomes habitual, consciously engaging with it again becomes remarkably difficult. Habit formation entails becoming unconscious; it pushes ways of living, judgments, and actions beyond our awareness.

If we want to live this new year differently than before, we must step beyond this rut of habit formation = labor saving.

Continuing New Challenges and Endeavors

To make this new year different from any before, we must make it a year of challenges and endeavors that transcend inertia. I urge you to take on something you have never attempted before and deliberately try a “new way of doing things” and a “new way of living” you have never tried before.

One clue to this might be engaging a little more proactively with the people you meet each day. Greet your coworkers every morning and evening and make a point to speak with them from time to time. The same goes for your family. If you have not been greeting them or having conversations, make an effort to talk to them. Try to connect emotionally. Placing greater emphasis on action is another key. Take steps to act on things you previously avoided because “it was too much trouble.” Transform the Wisdom you have worked on into one with more concrete action plans.

Furthermore, please do not just do it once and stop there. I would like you to make this entire year a time constantly filled with new challenges and endeavors.

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