Last week I went to the dentist. As the hygienist was cleaning my teeth she suggested I not scrub so hard when I brush. It was causing my gums to recede. As she was telling me this I thought, "Shoot, that's what the Dr. told me six months ago at my last appointment." I tried to lightening up on the pressure I was applying to my brushing habit but truthfully had forgotten about it after, I don't know, maybe a week or two? I told the hygienist that I had been brushing my teeth like this for years and it's just such a hard habit to break. She suggested I try using my less dominate hand or a soft electric tooth brush. So I vowed to attempt to break this old habit.
I have plenty of other bad habits too. Some I have managed to break while others I still struggle with. Some are fairly new, they snuck up on me. I didn't even realize it had become a habit until it was brought to my attention. My phone for instance. It's a wonderful device that I have become very attached to. It's more than a phone. It's my life line... Ok, not really but sometimes I treat it like that. If I forget it at home, I can nearly hyperventilate. "what if someone calls me or texts me? What if I need to take a picture of something? Or I get lost, how will I find my way home? How will I know what time it is? My schedule, coupons and Starbucks money are on there!" .... Am I alone in this? I know I'm not, based on seeing the way society is walking around face down in our little devices.
One of the ways I discovered my phone had become a habit was that I noticed I was beginning to form another habit... Running late. My husband is so disciplined in time management it makes me sick. I'm not. Nor have I ever been. But, one of the first things he taught me when we got married was to respect other peoples time by being on time. Being a people pleaser I don't like to keep people waiting on me either. I thought I was doing pretty good over the years.... Give or take five minutes here and there. Until recently when I noticed a pattern I had developed. Apologizing on a regular basis.... "sorry, I'm late" or "sorry, I'll be there in ten minutes I'm running late" oh... How I strongly dislike saying that to someone I know is expecting me at that moment or worse, ten minutes ago.
A few weeks ago it was with someone I was meeting for coffee. She text me, "do I have the right location?" Arrgghh, "yes I'm so sorry!" Then there was the above mentioned dentist appointment. I had to call and say "I'm so sorry, I'm running 5-10 minutes late." Truth was I had been on my phone while getting ready. Texting my daughter in between makeup application and hair drying. Answering a few more texts, double checking email and Facebook to see if I missed anything from the last ten minutes ago. Looking again to see what else is on my planner and I better log on and enter my calories on my FitnessPal before I forget, oh look a sale at Macy's.... I've often taken pride in that I am a great multitasker. But as I have been reminded lately, no I'm not. When I try to do too many things at once, something usually either slips through the cracks or goes on the back burner.
Then I saw an extremely powerful video of a driver who took a few seconds to make a payment on a loan via his cell phone. In those split seconds he took the life of a young mom who was enjoying her day off on a bike ride with her kiddos. It was heartbreaking to hear her husband, who now raising his girls without their mom; misses her terribly. It was just as heart wrenching to hear the man dressed in an orange jumpsuit, who could be me or anyone I know; who made a very bad choice. His life will never be the same either. Although, I don't text and drive, I have looked at my phone to answer a call or search for a number. I have my phone in my cup holder and at a red light I might reply or text "sorry, running late." I've text my husband knowing he is driving but think, "I want him to get this when he gets there". What if he looks at it while he is driving?
It made me reevaluate the use of my phone and how much of it is truly necessary and how much of it has just become a habit. I know if I set it down and focus on the task at hand, such as getting ready for my day, I will most likely be on time for my appointment. Today is a new day to start a new habit and I want to be focused on the moment. For starters, I'm making a promise to myself, my family and other drivers on the road to put my phone in my purse in the back seat while I am driving. It can wait. Also, I'm putting it down so that I can make a better effort to be on time to my appointments moving forward. I want to break this fairly new habit before it becomes an old habit even harder to break. And for the sake of my aging gums, I bought a new soft spinner toothbrush.
-Pressing On
" Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, (Philippians 2:3 NIV)
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love." (2 Peter 1:5-7 NIV)
"I can do all this through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13 NIV)
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