You are not born with your patterns
One of the biggest problems that people face is, 'I understand what is right and what is wrong, but I forget and do my own thing!' This is the one complaint I hear from everybody every day! You understand what is right and what is wrong, but when it comes to actions, you act as per the old patterns. You always feel powerless in front of your patterns, because you feel that they are who you are.
No! Please understand, you are NOT born with the patterns with which you are living now! When you are not born with a certain pattern, it means that it is created in you. Anything that is created can be changed. You CAN destroy the old pattern and create a new one. But constantly, for years and years, you go on complaining – 'I know what is right and what is wrong. But I cannot do, I cannot understand, I cannot change..!'
For all the people who think like this, I have a story:
One guy, during lunchtime in his office, opens his lunch box and says, "Oh God, today again the same potato, brinjal and tomato rice." Anyhow. he eats it.
Next day, he again opens his lunch box and starts crying, "Same potato, brinjal and tomato rice!" All his friends feel sorry for him.
Third day, he again opens his lunch box and exclaims, "Oh God, same potato, brinjal and tomato rice!"
His friends started asking him, "Your wife doesn't like you? Is there any fight going on between you and your wife? Why is she sending you the same food everyday, knowing that you don't like it?"
The guy says, "Wife? What wife? I am not married! I cook for myself."
Buddhi (intelligence) means knowing clearly, "Anything I created, I can destroy and create something new." Every time you think, "I cannot, I cannot, I cannot", you are giving strength to your ignorance. When you say, "I can, I can, I can", you are giving strength to your buddhi. Clearly recognizing that your patterns were created by you, and can be destroyed, is acting from buddhi.
Every morning, look at the patterns you have identified the previous night. Make a conscious decision to not act out of that pattern today.
If you have a pattern of losing patience easily, decide, 'I will have tremendous patience with myself and others today. I can do it.' Consciously decide that you can do it.
As you practice this for a week, you will find yourself acting more and more out of awareness, and less from your patterns.