A BAD HABIT OR A ROUTINE?

Penny For Your Thoughts By: Nancy Whitaker

We all have routines we do and most of them make us feel good. A routine is not a  bad habit if it doesn’t bother anyone and if it benefits you .

One of my routines is a cup of coffee the first thing in the morning.  I just cannot focus if I don’t drink coffee. Just one cup to get started. 

Another thing that I personally do that I have always done is brush my teeth and tap the tooth brush 3 times on the sink before putting it away. Why?  I don’t know I just have always done it and I guess it’s just a habit. Brush brush brush and tap tap tap.

Some people have different habits when they eat. Someone told me that they don’t let any food on their plate touch each other and they eat one thing at a time.  This is their way of eating  and I may have to try it. 

Now my grandpa used two utensils to eat. He had a fork in one hand  and a spoon in the other. For some reason he would pick up food with the fork and put it in the spoon to eat. If it was soup he would eat with 2  spoons. 

One of my habits (maybe bad) is that I sneeze so loud I scare people, even the cat. Plus when I sneeze I do it maybe 5 times in a row.  One time I sneezed so loud it scared my little grandson and he cried. 

I guess a real lady should put her hanky over her nose and do a little “aaaaccchoooo”. Why do I sneeze loud? I don’t know why but if I didn’t sneeze loud, I would feel like I never sneezed. Just one of my habits I do.

Some sports people do a certain routine before a big game or competition.  Some wear a certain pair of socks. Michael Phelps, the famous gold medalist swimmer did this: 

Before diving into the pool, he would swing his arms violently to slap his back, then put on his headphones and listen exclusively to “Boom Boom Pow” by The Black Eyed Peas to lock into his zone.

Then there is Michael Jordan:

Basketball legend Michael Jordan was known for wearing his University of North Carolina shorts under his Chicago Bulls uniform in every game. He continued this ritual throughout his entire NBA career, believing it brought him good luck and success on the court. (Wonder if he washed them?) 

Former MLB slugger Jason Giambi had an unusual “golden” ritual. When he was in a hitting slump, he would wear a gold lamé thong to break out of it. Though it may have been a humorous attempt to break bad luck, it became a legendary story in baseball lore.

One Hall of Fame baseball player ate chicken before every game, while another sportsman had a routine of eating a sub sandwich.

The iconic pre-game ritual that was the Lebron James chalk clap. It was a routine that formed a special connection between him and his fans. He captured the attention of the entire stadium, as they waited quietly for the iconic moment when he grabs the powder, rubs his hands together, and tosses the chalk in the air – and when he did the crowd would erupt – he’s pumped, the fans are pumped and it’s game time!

So we know that picking our noses or biting our fingernails isn’t really kosher, but some still do it.

People like routines because they are used to doing things a certain way and maybe brings good luck . 

Not all routines or habits are bad, it’s just who we are and how we think.

Do you have a routine or habit you do ? Drinking a lot of  coffee? Wearing certain socks? Eating something for good luck ? And I have a habit right here: “Let me know and I’ll Give you a Penny For Your Thoughts.”