Both kids have had birthdays recently and add in the Valentine’s Day holiday, well, let’s just say there has been a fair amount of sugar in the house. Even if I am using maple syrup or honey or some other form of unrefined sweetener, let’s face facts. It is still sugar.
But there comes a point where I had to say, wait…do I really want this? Does this really help me alleviate the increasing pain I’ve been noticing? Or the acne that is creeping up on my skin again?
I may have certain goals for my own health, but I’m human too and I can think of a bajillion excuses to not take action. I can even think these excuses are made out of love, I don’t want to put extra pressure on myself!
- But, my son’s birthday cake is amazing!
- I just didn’t find time to work out, I’m not going to worry about it, maybe I’ll get to it tomorrow.
- Food prep didn’t happen this weekend, I just don’t want to stress about it, we’ll eat whatever this week.
- And the list just goes on…
But these aren’t statements of love. It is just me taking myself off the hook, releasing the pressure, under the guise of love. It is the primitive part of my brain overriding anything else and keeping things exactly as they always have been. But the primitive part of my brain has no long-term foresight. It doesn’t know that things could be so much better.
We are hard-wired for staying exactly as we are and comfortable. But we are also hard-wired to need change so that we can grow and allow for new possibilities.
Crazy, right? We are a walking-contradiction all. the. time.
It is our job to see these two sides of ourselves and be aware of the contradiction and then make an intentional choice about which direction we want to go. As I sat there making treats for my daughter to take into her class, I noticed just how much of the sugar-wanting me was actually 8-year-old me. Um, I don’t think having an 8-year-old run the show is such a good idea….
Which choice is actually made with love for you?
- Eat the sugar today to feel the joint paint tomorrow?
- Schedule your day so tight you have no room to breathe?
- Never stop to pause and ask if you are heading in the direction YOU want to head?
– or –
- Start the day with a glass of water with lemon.
- Schedule time for yourself to breathe and even workout or walk each day.
- Skip the sugar and have happy joints tomorrow.
It is easy to just allow life to happen to you. We all get caught up in whatever is going on and that’s how our goals and aspirations slide. But if you want to really up-level your life, you have to stop, pause and reflect. One part of you may want to get you there so much, but if that non-thinking, primitive part of your brain is ruling the show, you just can’t win.
That part of your brain sneaks in and says, ‘Eat the cake!’ ‘Drink the wine!’ ‘Don’t workout today – it’s raining!’ It sounds innocent and may even be seen as a moment of self-love! And if you don’t pause and look at the thought, you won’t even know what happened. You’ll be eating the cake, drinking the wine and lounging on the couch.
Pause, notice the thought, and get curious about it.
Where are you holding yourself back? What thought do you not even realize is back there in your mind running the show?
Is that thought filled with love? Really?
I skipped the treats that day, and that one simple, intentional choice helped me refocus and get back on track.