No Do Overs

“Now is the only time anything happens. And every now, disappearing just as rapidly as it arrives, has been shaped and created by a habit and, in its fleeting existence, is shaping and creating habits.” –Sylvia Boorstein

When I read this, I feel even more strongly the urgency of developing habits to support a joyful spirit. The need, as Buddha said, to practice like my hair is on fire. Every now is here and gone so quickly that we don’t have time to plan it before it has vanished. And once it is gone, it’s gone. We don’t get to rethink that thought, resay those words, redo those acts. So our habits are crucial to the quality of our moment by moment experience of now.

I’ve read that 40% of our happiness is based on our habitual thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. 50% is based on our natural temperament. Only 10% is based on outer circumstances. That puts a walloping 40% in our total control. And that 40% is based on habits, our default ways of interacting with our world.

Deciding to be joyful is an impossible task. But changing and developing habits is manageable. We can do that. We can choose to develop habits to grow and maintain a deep, abiding happiness. We can max out that 40%.

We can’t do over all the nows that have already gone past. Let them go. But we can use this present now to shape and create habits that will lead to future nows of joy.

Let's make every now count.