That chocolate frosted donut is staring at you right in the face. You know that eating it won’t feel good in your body and you know there is no nutritional value to it. Despite knowing this, you walk right up to the counter and the words “I’ll have that chocolate frosted donut, please” come tumbling out of your mouth.
It feels good in the moment, but you’re not sure why considering the internal conversation you just had with yourself about the lack of nutrition in this palatable treat.
Do you ever wonder why humans engage in behavior that they KNOW is bad for them? You would think that as intelligent creatures who have figured out how to get into space and turn natural resources into energy, that we would be smart enough to say no to the substances that are inherently bad for us.
In order to make sense of this, we explore the “Pick Your Poison” concept from Return To Food. In every culture, there is an addictive substance (think coffee, alcohol, marijuana, mushrooms) that people ingest.
Although the substance may be addictive, it is usually used in the context of community, social interaction or even spiritual exploration. When it used in these circumstances, it can be part of a healthy existence.
The problem comes when the bulk of what you are doing isn’t nourishing, energizing and protective. If you are nourished with good food, move your body, have quality social interactions and fulfilling spiritual practices you are far more balanced and potentially able to use those substances without becoming addicted.
If you are unbalanced in those areas, however, you can end up “Just one-ing” it into full blown addiction. So how do you know?
At Sweet Freedom, we know that the truth lies in getting quiet. Meditation is extremely powerful in finding your own truth. If you’re questioning whether you’re the type of person who can have just one (whether that is with sugar, coffee, alcohol etc), get quiet and be honest with yourself.
There are many people who need to operate on zero tolerance because they know that there is no such thing as having “just one”. The key is to be honest with yourself so find out what is right for you.
If the bulk of what you are doing is nourishing, energizing and protective, and you feel balanced in your body and soul, you may be able to engage in those behaviors without becoming addicted.
So get quiet, be honest with yourself and start to build a little Sweet Freedom for yourself.