Thank you, thank, thank you! I’ve been thinking about this very subject for the past few weeks quite often, fueled by the realization that I have never in my life been able to sustain the “good” habits as dictated by society and my parents for longer than one or two months.

I thought about how even brushing my teeth needs a lot more determination twice daily than it really should take, given that it’s one of the most important things I can do for the health of my body and I’ve been doing it most of my life, surely it should be one of those no-willpower-required-totally-automatic habits by now?

I thought that perhaps there was no joy in taking care of my teeth because I felt like the way people tell you to do it wasn’t really the best one. So I did some research, made some changes, lo and behold, I look forward to cleaning my teeth now because I can see and feel the difference it makes. Profoundly satisfying.

Moving on to the mindset behind “eating right and exercising” now, starting with 100% acceptance and noticing and acknowledging thought patterns trying to dictate the “right” behavior. Patience!