A quote misattributed to Aristotle reads: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an action but a habit.” I am blessed to have learned this lesson firsthand.  I was raised by an amazing mother who instilled plenty of healthy habits in me from a young age, and sometimes I don’t realize that other people had to learn these habits later on their own. I am blessed that the “water” of my life has always been clear, unclouded by unhealthy habits, drama, or victim mentality. I have curated and cultivated my community to reflect my values. I stand by my community, and they stand by me. 

I was pondering these lessons when I found Lewis Howes’ podcast, School of Greatness, where he discussed 7 Habits That Separate Truly Happy People. I clicked on it out of curiosity. I consider myself a genuinely happy person who loves her life, and I wondered how many of these habits are already second nature. I was not surprised to find that I already practiced several of them, and they’ve helped me curate my life as intentionally as possible. 

I wasn’t surprised that practicing agency over and gratitude for one’s own life were the first two habits. My amazing mother has drilled both concepts into my head since I could speak.  I am responsible for my choices and their outcomes, and life is beautiful even when it’s hard. It’s a unique blessing to understand agency and gratitude from a young age 

I was talking to my fiancé recently, and he mentioned that he was initially worried about dating me. I’m the daughter of a single mother, and many of our shared friends are single mothers too. There are plenty of stereotypes about the dynamics between single women and men. Still, I’m surrounded by conservative, spiritual, health-conscious women who all deeply respect the balance of masculine and feminine strengths. I am blessed to be surrounded by wisdom, humor, and joy in my circle.

We also all love supporting each other in our individual and shared growth. In our circle, attending a healing retreat or purchasing bacteria cultures online for homemade yogurt is par for the course. Our values and ways of life may not be for everyone, but we are intentional about finding like-minded souls to be in community with. 

I am blessed that healthy habits and high-caliber people have been so normalized for me. I don’t always notice that I am swimming in clearer water, unclouded by drama, victim mentality, or other unhealthy habits. But I try to notice the clearer water whenever I can, and be grateful for it. That’s all I know for now. Thanks for reading.