Habits, October Books and Elon Musk

The Power of Habits and Who We Are Becoming

There’s been a lot on my mind lately, and at the forefront is the topic of habits—those seemingly small, repetitive actions that shape our days and, inevitably, our lives. They may feel inconspicuous, but as I reflect on their significance, I’m reminded of something I read recently by Pastor John Mark Comer:

“In a culture that equates authenticity with spontaneous emotions, habit is a tough sell. But show me a person’s habits, and I will show you what they are truly most passionate about, most dedicated to, most willing to suffer for, and most in love with. And I will show you who they will become.”

This challenges the way we often think about authenticity and passion. It’s easy to focus on the big moments, the life-altering decisions, and the occasional bursts of inspiration and creativity that drive us forward. But it’s often the small, repeated choices that have the greatest influence on what kind of presence we have in our families, friendship groups, workplaces and other communities.  Are we a calming presence, or are we hurried, distracted, impatient even? Whether that's what we are reading, how we are reading, what messages we are engaging with on social media, our relationship with food, the way we talk to one another- how is that shaping the people we want to become? Are these habits steering us in a direction we didn’t intend?

October Books and intentional community

This reflection brings me to the spaces we choose to immerse ourselves in, like October Books. For me, October Books is a reminder that the stories I take on and the environments I frequent are just as much habits as my caffeine intake. You know that when you decide to visit October Books you a choosing to play a small part in a much bigger story about alternative economies and fairer societies where creativity and diversity thrive. I know I need to be more aware of how it is all connected. 

Online choices

As I think about who I am becoming, I’m also thinking about how intentional I’m being in that process. Are the habits I’ve cultivated leading me closer to the person I aspire to be? Or have I let cultural currents dictate too much of my day to day?

As I look ahead to 2025, with all its uncertainties, political tensions, and personal wrestlings about my identity, it feels like a good time to stop and think. It’s a time to evaluate what’s worth holding onto, what needs transformation, and how I can cultivate habits with an openness that says I know I am part of something bigger here and I know I am a semi-responsible human. 

The same goes for all of us. What forces are forming you, whether you’re aware of them or not? 

As we reflect on the kind of environments we want to be part of, it’s important to consider alternatives that better match our values. This is why we've chosen to join Blue Sky. We believe in supporting spaces that prioritise thoughtful interaction as opposed to  the tumultuous environment Musk has fostered on X, where sensationalism and divisive rhetoric thrive. Let's not forget that X 'disproportionately amplifies the messages of Republican influencers and politicians, according to two new investigations' and that 'Millions of U.S. users reportedly left the site after Musk took over in 2022, eroding the platform’s policies against hate speech and harassment, which led to the reinstatement of thousands of previously banned accounts,' (Vanity Fair, 2024). For the mean time, we will be on X and BlueSky over a transition period, but we would love to see you on BlueSky in the future on a full time basis. Designed by former CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, Bluesky is now run and predominantly owned by chief executive Jay Graber as a US public benefit corporation. However in essence the platform, its content, users, and their connections could theoretically thrive even if Bluesky, as a company, ceased to exist or 'exited'. This marks a significant departure from the traditional model where a single private company owns the servers, dictates the algorithms, and sets the rules. Moving forward, the evolution of Bluesky will largely hinge on how its users engage and contribute.

So, considering all this in mind, what habits are you hoping to change this year? What do you think of the X / BlueSky move?

You can read more about these topics here: https://octoberbooks.org/search?q=social+media+&options%5Bprefix%5D=last