Meditation, Mood, Habit and Routine

Updated: Friday, February 17^th, 2023, at 2:14 PM New Plymouth, New Zealand Time

Contents

• Author
• Edit History
• Introduction

Author

Author: Mattanaw, Christopher Matthew Cavanaugh

• Masters Business & Economics, Harvard University (In Progress)
• B.S. Psychology, University of Maryland, 4.0, Summa Cum Laude¹
• B.S. Computer & Information Science, University of Maryland, 3.91, Magna Cum Laude²
• B.A. Philosophy, University of Maryland.³
• G.E.D., State of Maryland, Montgomery County, 1999.

Former Chief Architect, Adobe Systems

Current President/Advisor, Social Architects and Economists International.

Contact:

• cmcavanaugh@g.harvard.edu
• christopher.matthew.cavanaugh@member.mensa.org
• mattanaw@mattanaw.org

Resumé

• Professional Resumé

Edit History

• Updated: Friday, February 17^th, 2023, at 2:14 PM New Plymouth, New Zealand Time
• Draft Created: Tuesday, June 22^nd, 2022, at 10:10 AM Alaska Time

Introduction

This category is part of the reason for the life-categories themselves, and the Personal Form, because of the goal to manage life with habit and routine, to alter self to naturally do those things that lead to, and include, a more fulfilling life. Also included is the desire to manage mood, which sounds somewhat insignificant, but if considered more fully, all life that is comfortable includes comfortable and preferred moods, and not moods that are undesirable and unwanted. The cultivation of desirable moods is bound up with the accumulation of desirable habits which really does, if done the way really wanted, include all that one does. One does want to have moments of passion and free experience of surprising moments, but at times where this is not desired what is wanted is some level of control, or perhaps automaticity in having pleasantness without working hard at it.

This category also connects with the category of daily visualization, and of the routine flows, which are designed to provide opportunity to rehearse habits, routines, activities, and mood altering thoughts in advance of doing them, with the goal and support of doing them.

This section is bound up with ritual in the non-religious sense, although would resemble ritual in religion with regard to the repetitiveness. Repetitiveness without inability to modify however, since learning is desired and expected to be included, and creative alteration is beneficial as long as it does not detract excessively from training, which should strive towards a beneficial consistency, and not erratic frequent alteration.

Also involved in the controlling of moods is aspects of health and of meditation. One wants to have some level of control over sleep which influences mood, and diet, and to have some tools for changing mood when it seems like it is not desirable or otherwise within one’s quick control. Meditation and certain exercises, can over time provide quick mechanisms for changing mood, but initially, before a certain level of mastery is approached, active work is needed.

This is a section that could potentially be omitted if it is understood that these items are sufficiently related to all the other items. However, for my list, I think it is really worthwhile to remind about what should not be forgotten. It should not be forgotten that habit and routine, for example, are really fundamental to human well-being, and are intermixed with what people think of a good quality moral life. Without habit and routine, and training to automaticity of certain moral behaviors, with results related to desirable mood, one would not really think a person is that moral. Without this it appears a person wants to create a perception that they are moral or have good discipline, while they really might not. Much better is to have moral disciplinethat is reflected in real habits and routines, which end up comprising a persons behavior, which also becomes visible partly to others. This would not be the only method of judging whether someone is moral or not over various phases in life, since learning can interfere with the outward display of certain habits over others, but it does seem to be evident, that without training oneself or getting training, one is untrained. A moral person is one that has training of a certain type that has resulted in benefits.

I will include more later as I develop my newer version of my personal form which I use to make sure that I am maintaining my development along the various life categories, that I am here sharing and have prioritized. An objective is to keep it as simple as possible and include only those components I need for now, and need to be aware of, that will allow for efficient self-training and lifestyle management. I am certain because of the benefits I’ve accrued to myself to date that it will continue to be useful, and likely others would benefit from the same. I consdier this to be a part of the pragmatic portion of my moral philosophy which I’ve developed for over 20 years, which also contains what might historically be called a theoretical aspect, which will be shared later.

[Written in 16 minutes with no edits]

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