Careful consumers shop for value, the best products for their money. Good parents desire only the best for their children, feeding their growing bodies, minds, and spirits. People with integrity seek the best investment of their time, talents, and assets. In every area of life, to settle for less would be wasteful, irresponsible, and unwise. Yet, it is our nature to do what is convenient and comfortable, to go with the flow. And those who try to introduce a better way are frequently ridiculed, ignored or persecuted.
First, what is normal? When people talk about something being normal, what they are really saying it is ‘what most people do’. I read a great essay by Paul Graham where he suggested: “You can probably take it as a rule of thumb from now on that if people don’t think you’re weird, you’re living badly.” I recall this line and smile every time someone suggests my pursuit of lifestyle changes is a bit weird. Since early childhood it has been irritating to me if the answer for why we do something is “because we’ve always done it that way”. Sure, there are givens, the rising of the sun and passage of each season keeps us firmly rooted on solid ground. But aren’t we here to learn and grow and get better?
Our brains are hard wired to find the most calorie dense foods and consume them for survival. The problem is we live in a land of plenty, so most of us aren’t really in danger of starvation. To make matters worse, there is a lot of money to be made by using this principle to create an addiction to a product. Add a little more fat to that burrito or a tad more sugar to that cereal and see how quickly your body will want MORE! I used to spend hours wondering why I was always hungry and overweight. I didn’t understand I was dealing with addiction. I can’t think of any other word to describe my urges to eat salty food. I never felt satiated until I broke that addiction by replacing it with lots of high-density, low-calorie foods well-seasoned to entertain my spoiled taste buds.
“…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1 NASB)
“For our ancient ancestors, the path toward more pleasure, with less pain, and for less effort was almost always the right path to choose. This is no longer true.” Douglas J. Lisle, Ph.D. The Pleasure Trap: Mastering the Hidden Force that Undermines Health and Happiness)
“Through learning we re-create ourselves…People don’t resist change. They resist being changed!” (Peter Senge – The Fifth Discipline)
Yours for a Joyful Journey,
Joyice