How to Break a Good Habit

By Paul Roberts

I know that many of my readers are aware of the morning habit that Carol and I call Sowing Seeds (what Julia Cameron calls morning pages), and that we recommend that you start your day with this task of free-writing the thoughts that come to mind at the beginning of your day. But I’d like to remind you that I don’t consider starting your day that way that an ironclad rule.

Over the last few months I have experimented with the order of my morning habits of writing, followed by non-fiction reading, and I have discovered a sense of freedom and pleasure in some randomness in that daily routine. I typically have two or three non-fiction books that I am working my way through, but of late I have added poetry to my morning. By occasionally starting with my non-fiction reading (which has had a religious theme lately) , and then moving into my journal writing, I find myself moved by the ideas still fresh in my mind to the degree that I can “free-write” poetry. Like my regular journal entries, I try not to worry about making it perfect, I dare to write in a stream of consciousness manner, and I don’t typically feel the need to share it with anyone but myself. But since I’m still in the mood (like last week) to use my blog to encourage people to sign up for our day retreats - especially the poetry retreat in August - I thought I’d share this triplet based poem inspired by the format and theme of one of the poems I started my day with. Just trying for simple words, simple rhymes, and seeing where it takes me.

Matthew 27:51 And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom…

And so the days go by

Like lightning shooting ‘cross the sky

A flash that enters through my eye

To teach an inner place in me

A place I dare not let me see

A place alone for You to be

A holy place as in days past

A place where you may come at last

And stay there not by clinging fast

But by Your own enduring will

You live and move and stay there still

So that I may eat all my fill

Your holiness I may not see

A place alone for You to be

You touch an inner place in me

And your desire does set me free.

Hoping I get to see you in my backyard sometime this summer. Bring your creativity.

                         *******************************************************************

Have you formed enough of a morning habit to stimulate your creativity that now you can creatively “experiment” with that habit? Try it, and let us know how it goes.

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