When you sit, you may feel something pushing you to get up and do something else. That’s the energy inside each of us called habit energy. Habit energy is energy that is fueled by an old pattern, situation, or habit. It isn’t based on our real needs and our real situation in the present.
Habit energy is always pushing. We have the habit of thinking that happiness isn’t possible in the here and now, that we have to go and look for it somewhere else or in the future. That’s why we keep running. Our parents ran too. They transmitted the habit of running to us, and they received it from their ancestors. It’s a longstanding habit. We deeply believe that in the future we may have more conditions for our happiness and that our “real life” lies somewhere else. It’s because of our habit energy, that the present moment can seem boring.
It is a strong energy. If we are not aware of it, it can be stronger than we are. When we sit and invite the sound of the bell, it is a reminder to let go of that habit energy and return home.