Finding Freedom in Personal Habits

Here in Greece, the heat has already started, and the forecast predicts a hot summer. While the high temperatures can make it hard to concentrate, the good mood that the season brings helps me write this post. Managing the heat has become a habit, much like other routines in our lives. Today, I want to talk about these habits.

As I get older, I find myself needing to change some of my habits. Thankfully, this need isn't driven by pressure to create an ideal self but rather by a gentle opportunity to adopt habits that suit me, not imposed by social expectations.

The things we do daily—like the coffee we drink, the friends we keep, the sports we watch, and what we read—have a significant impact on our lives. These choices often reflect the qualities and directions of social groups we were influenced by as we grew up. We adopted these habits early on and continued them into adulthood, sometimes without them truly fitting who we are.

Often, we resist acknowledging this and oppose those with different views from the beliefs we adopted. Realizing this, I felt the need to change certain habits, such as following football, whose fans often display a belligerent attitude that doesn't suit me.

Believe me, I feel so much lighter now. It's beautiful to shape a self according to your own needs and critical thinking. Have you ever made such a change? If so, what was it, and what impact did it have on you?