If we persist, however, the gratification that our new behavior produces will help sustain it: the new behavior itself becomes valued, no longer a burden but a source of satisfaction and self-confidence. As with all efforts to change long-standing patterns and learn new ones, whether playing the piano or exercising self-restraint to avoid hurting the people we love, the prescription is to “practice, practice, practice” until it becomes automatic and intrinsically rewarding.
