Built on Shaky Ground

A personal crisis can shape the habits you develop. Whether those habits are good or bad, they tend to outlast the crisis itself.

I know this firsthand. Unequipped to cope with my own crisis, I reached for alcohol and nicotine. One I eventually left behind. The other still lingers to this day. Both outlasted the crisis that introduced them.

I can trace my struggle with nicotine back to one of life’s most defining moments, a crisis I was facing at 17. I didn’t have the tools to handle it, so I developed an unhealthy habit instead.

Some crises shake you to your core. But it’s often the habits formed in those moments that become the anchor, long after the crisis has passed and the pain has faded.

The next time you observe someone struggling with an "unhealthy" habit, remember they probably prefer not to. That original trauma response isn't easily broken. And if you're honest, you probably have one too.

Can you trace where yours began?

Until next Sunday,

- Termeil Hall