Tyler met me at the door the other night, grinning ear to ear.

"Snowball is SO busted," he crowed.

"Snowball" is his nickname for Cellophane, my 13-year-old fluffy cat. Cellophane is not a lap kitty. Never has been. She likes to sit next to you on the couch; at night, she'll sleep on top of the bed; but she doesn't like to be picked up and cuddled and she doesn't sit on laps.

Tyler had a series of photos of Cellophane earlier that afternoon, sprawled across his lap.

Hmm.

Are there things you (or your partner, coworkers or boss) "just won't do"? Something out of character? Against beliefs or values?

Behavior and beliefs stem from habit. They've been repeated so often that they seem natural. Part of our identity.

I'm not a morning person. I surprised when a shift in one aspect of my life (which didn't have anything to do with sleep, by the way) resulted in my waking up refreshed, energized, and enthusiastic about the day ahead.

I know I've written about this before, but I'm continually amazed, amused, and relieved by it. We aren't constrained by our past. Sure, it affects us, but it doesn't determine us.