As we work towards a happier lifestyle, it is ironic, but true that our greatest challenges are our own habits and tendencies. Karma, the simple fact that causes have effects, works against us if we are accustomed to dwelling in the past or worrying about the future. The momentum created whenever we indulge in these mental dead ends are what keep us from overcoming them.
The Buddha’s approach was not to try to deny or even counter the energy in the mind that flows in unhealthy ways. Instead, he taught us to simply become aware of this energy and how it affects us on a moment-to-moment basis by noting in the present moment. In doing so, we can rise above our old habits rather than trying to confront them on their (lower) level.
The power of this approach is twofold. Firstly, since we are not countering our bad habits directly, we do not build up the habit of suppression which is fraught with its own inherent dangers. Secondly, rather than fighting it, we adapt the habit-forming tendency of the mind for a wholesome purpose, that of overcoming suffering. When we use this power of routine and repetition, every step we take on the path accelerates our journey towards happiness.