I'm sure that most of you were told as a kid, "you are
what you eat," by a concerned Mom or Dad who was trying to
persuade you to eat your veggies versus a box of Twinkies. You
didn't quite understand how broccoli could be a better choice
than a lollipop or Tootsie Roll. And geesh, if "we are what we
eat" then who in the world would want to become a piece of
broccoli anyways? ;)
But now, you are all grown up and you understand how Mom
and Dad were right. You see the benefits in feeding your body
right and know the consequences if you don't. "You are what
you eat," is more of a general term referring to the overall
choices we make. If you eat healthy... chances are you will be
healthier. If you eat poorly and load up on junk food... well,
you know the outcome.
When you think of feeding your body, it's not just about
food though. While the proper foods are important to your
physical health, what about what you feed your mind? If you
truly are what you eat... what are you feeding your soul?
Are you filling your plate with thoughts that nourish and
grow -or- thoughts that just add fat and high blood
pressure?
I heard a story recently about a man who was vacationing in
Hawaii and while on the beach one day he saw the most
magnificent house sitting on the hillside that he had ever
seen. He looked over at his wife and said, "Wow, I couldn't
even imagine living in a place like that." In the same breathe
a thought occurred to him... he was right. He never would know
what it was like to live in a place like that if he couldn't
even imagine it for himself. He was feeding his mind with
negative thoughts and disbelief right from the start.
Basically sabotaging his own success due to his feelings of
inadequacy.
Sure, this is a little more gloried of a story but can you
relate? How many times have you wanted something and sabotaged
yourself with negative thoughts before you even gave it a
chance?
Our minds are like our bodies and if we feed our thoughts
with doubt, negativity, and fear... what will be the result?
Stress, imbalance, disharmony, and unhappiness. To the
contrary, if we feed on positive thoughts, affirmations,
kindness, and love... we will become just that.
So this week, be encouraged to think about your
interactions and your thoughts as food for your mind and your
soul. If you were an Olympic athlete, you wouldn't fuel up on
beer and chips the night before a race would you? Think of
yourself in the Olympics of life, you must always be in
training, always trying to condition your mind to be able to
compete in the big game. If you want to be happier, to be a
kinder and gentler person, or to receive the blessings set out
for your life... you only need to make the choice and choose
to do so. It may not happen overnight and it may take a bit of
work but the outcome is well worth the effort. Choose to feed
your mind with thoughts of love and compassion, calmness
instead of fear or anger, acceptance versus hate, and ability
to look at each negative situation as a blessing from God.
Your Partner in Kindness,
-Daniel
Kindness. It starts with you, pass it on.
