"I have always..."
This phrase is one of the most dangerous when it crosses my mind or emerges from my lips. It binds me to a course of action I decided upon consciously or unconsciously in the past and allows that habituated action or feeling to continue without thought or attention. When I think, "I have always..." it often creates a sense of identity and personal continuity, but with these symbolic representations of myself it also creates a fatalistic sense of the future.
This sense of fated continuation is not always harmful, but does require attention to determine whether this identified feeling or action is beneficial or harmful. For instance, if I think, "I have always felt close to my mother, " I would like for this feeling to continue and see the outcome of this thought continuing to be very positive, but if I think, "I have always hated my body" it creates a different kind of fated relationship with my mind. Both statements are generally true of my past experience, but by projecting the latter forward I end up locking myself into a habitual negative thought cycle where I bypass the opportunity to mindfully engage with the thought and dismantle it. I get caught in my own history and begin to feel trapped and desperate which can negate efforts to constructively change my thinking.
