Consistency (The Practical Humanist's 300th Posting)

Ralph Waldo Emerson

One great threat to practice is boredom. As Emerson put it in one of his Self-Reliance essays, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." I think we may all look to U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann for an inspiring example of these words.

Practice must be more than habit to avoid boredom and stupidity. It must be a vital, intentional awareness, a dynamic process of mental decision-making, like the high-awareness moves of the surfer or extreme sports participant. Instead of hand-eye coordination, the focus of the practitioner is a constant mind-body-brain coordination in all aspects of moment-by-moment life. 

The health-promoting and educational habits that support practice must be somewhat routine and consistent to be effective. However, there is wider and wider margin for creative variation as the practitioner feels healthier and learns more. As in athletic activity, more flexibility and strength in the mind-body-brain development enhances overall life performance. Consistency itself is not the issue. The quality and areas of consistency determine the benefits of practice.