Friday, April 29, 2016

Avoiding People And Things That Can Trigger Bad Habits.

To be a human-being is to have habits. We may not want to always acknowledge it, but every single one of us have habits on some level or another. Whatever those habits may be will vary from one individual to the next, however, we all possess both good and bad habits that are a part of our makeup as individuals. While our good habits are likely the ones that we'd like to be at the forefront of who we are as people, the bad habits are normally the ones that we're judged upon by most. Whether you believe this to be fact or not is up to you, but the truth of the situation is that many of our bad habits can hinder us from becoming a better version of ourselves. Another truth of the matter is that we all have certain things and people that can trigger some of the bad habits that we engage in. No one is perfect, and getting rid of any habit that is considered to be bad can be a daunting task. However, in order to make some headway into breaking some of our bad habits, we must first learn to identify and avoid the people and things that can trigger those bad habits.

YO! How are you all doing out there this time around? It is me the everyday average guy Brad H. coming at you all once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I hope that you all have been doing well since the last time I wrote, and I also hope that this reaches everyone in good health and spirits. We're nearing the closing of the month of April, and I don't know if it's been like this where you guys are, but we've definitely been getting our share of April showers this month. Also, the NBA playoffs are underway, and being the basketball fan that I am, that's always marks an exciting time of the year for me. My San Antonio Spurs have advanced to the next round of the playoffs, and will be taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder this coming Saturday. I hope they're able to get it done and advance to the Western Conference Finals. We'll see what happens in the coming days and weeks with the other teams also. I hope everyone that likes basketball is enjoying the playoffs so far, and I hope everyone has had a great month of April. Alright, I think I've done enough rambling, so lets go ahead and get into this week's topic dealing with bad habits and the triggers that can cause them.

Like I always mention in my posts, I want to state that a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary. The goal here isn't to focus on what is considered right or wrong, but rather to give the readers something that they can maybe think about and evaluate even further. My sole mission here is to use this platform as a way to express my ideas and opinions. If anyone happens to feel differently or disagree with my views on this or any of the topics I write about, that is totally fine. So this week we'll be talking about the things and people that can set off and trigger us into bad habits. I want to start off by saying that my ears and eyes are closest to me, so any advice that I give out in this post is advice that I will be applying to my own life as well. I also want to state that I realize that not everyone will have the same good or bad habits. Again, the goal isn't to focus on the habits themselves, but rather trying to identify the things that can set off those habits. I'm a firm believer that a problem must first be addressed in order to be solved, so this is one of those instances where we as individuals have to first recognize what bad habits we're engaging in.

Many of us walk through our everyday lives not realizing the things that trigger us to do certain things. Whether they're good or bad, many of the habits we engage in often become like a second nature to us. I believe that it's one of those deals where a person does something continuously again and again for so long, that they slowly begin to believe it is normal. Think of it like a lie that a person continues to believe over and over again until their mind begins to believe it's the truth. Now I realize that may sound a bit extreme in this instance, but the point I'm trying to make here is that I don't feel that our bad habits are always second nature. From my perspective, many of our bad habits are formed through the accumulation of the negative people that we encounter, as well as the negative behaviors we engage in time and time again. In other words, there isn't any habit that we engage in that can't be change or fixed without some effort. Unfortunately for many of us, we've been indulging in our bad habits so long that we often overlook the things that can trigger them. For this reason alone, I'm trying to encourage myself and others to become more aware of the people we interact with, as well as the often subtle things that can set us off.

Now that I've gotten that our habits aren't second nature like many of us believe they are out of the way, we have to address the things that trigger those bad habits. Some of you may ask; "How exactly does a person avoid something that can trigger us into bad habits?" Well, the honest truth is that many of them are unavoidable in some cases. Think about this as an example. Lets say that a person is trying to cut a certain type of food out of their diet to become healthier. You can avoid that particular food all you want, but you'll often at times see others eating this particular food. If not that, you'll likely see it when you're in the store, or you may end up seeing it advertised on television. Unlike a certain group of people or a specific person that can trigger you into bad habits, there are some things that just can't be avoided, because you're always going to be exposed to it in some way, shape or form. Some of you may now be confused since I'm talking about avoiding triggers, but I'm also saying that they're unavoidable in some cases. I apologize if I've confused some of you, but hopefully what I'm saying will make sense soon.

So how are you supposed to avoid something that is always in front of you in some form or another? Now if you're a frequent reader here, you're already aware that I often talk about the power of the mind, and that's exactly what we have to use in order fight off any urges that can trigger us into bad habits. We have to build up and strengthen our minds in order to escape the hold that our bad habits have on us. From my perspective, an individual with a strong mind knows how to resist things that may be bad for them. A person with a strong mind knows how to look their problems and issues right in the face and say "I'm not running from you." Now if there is a certain person or people that can trigger you into bad habits, then do whatever you have to do to physically avoid those people. For everything else out there, you have to learn how to build your mind up to be able to resist those triggers. Of course it's not something that happens overnight, nor will it be easy. Trust and believe that we'll all have failures from time to time. However, with enough practice, discipline and focus, I believe we can make great strides in conquering those bad habits that control us. Keep in mind that the same way habits are built up, they can also be erased as well. Recognize and identify what your personal triggers are, and don't be afraid to look your problems in the face head on. From my perspective, that is the only way we'll be able to truly avoid the things that can trigger bad habits.

Well folks, I hope I was able to get my point across here, so I'm going to go ahead end this one. Much thanks for everyone that stopped by for another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. As always, the hope is that some meaning and understanding was gained from this post. In the case that doesn't apply to you, I still appreciate those of you that took out the time to hear me out. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the month of April, and I'll see you all again in the next post in the month of May. I go by the name of Brad H., and I wish you all peace and positive thoughts. Till next time friends!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Reaching A Goal Is Only The Beginning (Recommitting to a Goal).

For many people in our society, the reaching of a goal that we may have been striving for often signals a finale. After all the time and effort that is exerted towards obtaining a particular goal, we often view the achievement as a curtain call; a way for us to take a bow and bask in the glory that comes along with the success. While some goals that may be reached are maybe a one and done type of scenario, there are others that require a consistent level of effort to maintain. Goals of this nature will probably feel like an ongoing process, and in actuality, that is exactly what they are. This truth isn't meant to discourage anyone, nor is it meant to invalidate any goals that you may achieve. However, many of us get to a goal that we've been working at, and then spend too much time tooting our own horn. Many of us fail to realize that the same effort that goes into reaching a goal takes the same effort required to maintain the fruits of it. Sometimes, reaching a goal is only the beginning.

Hey, what's going on ladies and gentlemen? It's me the everyday average guy Brad H. coming at you all once again, and welcome to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I hope that this reaches whomever that is reading it in good health and spirits, as well as in a sound and stable state of mind. Not much has been going on with me since the last time I touched base. We're officially at the halfway point of the month of April, which means that depending on wherever you're located, we're in the middle of the spring season. I've been enjoying the weather that we've been getting in my area as of late. It's been warm enough to get outside and be active, but cool enough to not feel like it's smoldering heat where you can't enjoy yourself. I'm going to enjoy the spring as much as possible, because I know that summer is right around the corner unfortunately. Yes I indeed said unfortunately, because I don't care for the summer heat much at all anymore. Anyway, regardless of what the weather is like wherever you are, I hope that you all are having a great month of April so far. Now that I've gotten all of that out of the way, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic.

Before going any further with this post, I want to be sure and state that a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary. My goal here isn't to focus on what may be right or wrong, but rather to give whomever that is reading this something to maybe think about and reevaluate more in depth. The mission is strictly for me to use this platform as a way to express my ideas and opinions. If anyone happens to feel differently or disagree with my views, that is totally fine. So as I mentioned earlier, this week's topic will deal with recommitting to a goal that has maybe already been met. Some of you may wonder what brought me to write about this topic. Well, for those of you that maybe follow this blog a little more closely than others, you may have noticed that the previous post before this one dealt with goals and failures. I realize that the summer months are likely approaching for many of you, and that normally is the time when a lot of people begin to set certain goals for themselves. The last post I wrote was meant to inspire people that faced setbacks while working towards a goal. This week's topic is meant to inspire those people that have maybe reached a goal, but need to be reminded that sometimes the reaching of a goal is only the beginning.

As I stated earlier, it's normal to feel a sense of accomplishment with reaching a goal that you've been working towards. However, many of us develop a certain sense of complacency after hitting that target goal. Ever heard that saying that goes; "Success is a full time job?" Well, that same sentiment applies when it comes to various goals that are reached. See, in order to maintain certain goals that we have reached, a certain degree of recommitting is required. Otherwise, all the work and progress that you put in towards reaching that goal will likely become undone. Some of you may be aware that I often talk about the power of the mind in my posts. Well, once again, the mind plays a powerful role in being able to recommit to a specific goal. The power of having a strong mind is limitless, and it's in our best interest to work on building our minds to combat the complacency that sometimes develops with reaching a goal. Some of you may be wondering what are the kind of goals that may require a level of recommitting to? Well, one of the biggest is one that a lot of us are aware of and unfortunately, it's also one that many people fall back into old habits with.

I think that we can all agree that one of the biggest goals that many people have is to lose weight and get healthier. Well, there are many times when person may begin to reach some of those health related goals, and then find themselves becoming complacent with what they've achieved. If you're not careful with your lifestyle, you may look around and find yourself falling back into some of the same habits that you had once before, which in turn can lead to all the progress you've made towards the goal you've reached being undone. That's not what we should be striving for. See, certain goals in life shouldn't be just for a season. Sometimes, in order to live a better life style and quality of life, the goals that we reach have to be lifestyle changes. A lifestyle change is a change that shouldn't yo-yo up and down to the point where it creates inconsistency in our lives. A lifestyle change is one that requires us to draw a line in the sand and say to ourselves, "No more!" It doesn't just apply to health, but anything in life that requires time and effort to reach. The same dedication that you put in towards reaching a goal is the same dedication that is required to maintain it.

Now I'm in no way saying that we shouldn't be proud of ourselves when we reach our goals. Always continue to be proud of yourself when reaching a goal, and give yourself the proper credit for a job well done. There is a certain amount of discipline that we must hone in order to reach our goals right? Well, after reaching a specific goal, we should be looking for the next stage of discipline to conquer and work towards. From my perspective, I view goals as being stepping stones into better things. Think of life as if were a staircase, and each goal reached is a step on the staircase. In order for us to keep on advancing and moving forward, we have to look for the next stage of discipline that is required to keep on advancing. This can be a very difficult task at times, and I myself have struggled with this. However, despite the degree of difficulty that may come, it's definitely something that can be obtained with a strong mind. So to all my friends out there, remember that reaching a goal is sometimes only the beginning. Learn to use those achievements as a spearhead towards better things, and don't be afraid to recommit to your goals.

Alright folks, I believe that I got the point that I was trying to make across, so I'm going to bring this post to an end. Big thanks and shout outs go to everyone that stopped by for another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. As I always like to say before I end, the hope is that some meaning and understanding was gained from this post. Even if that's not the case for you, I still appreciate those of you that stopped by. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week, and I'll see you all in the next post. My name is Brad H., and I wish you all peace and positive thoughts. Till next time my friends!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.