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Care and Feeding
Most of us have heard the saying “you are what you eat.” Although there is a lot of truth to that statement, I think the problem we have applying it to life is that eating something tasty is an immediate positive experience while the effects of eating badly are usually gradual and quite sneaky, like the time we were getting our house in South Texas ready to sell so for 10 days or so we ate only fast food. At the time they were quick and tasty meals that stopped the gnawing in my stomach, and I was too busy to think much beyond that. But, at the end of the 10 days, I found I was feeling pretty bad ,and then I stepped on the scale and had gained 10 pounds! That one time, I had quick feedback on what I was eating and how it was affecting me.
This concept applies to other areas of the care and feeding of the human, inside and out. What else do we consume? We consume TV, movies, books, pictures, social media, scenery, and many other things with our eyes. We consume music, conversation, podcasts, nature sounds, and just straight noise with our ears. We consume textures, temperatures, a warm breeze or a cold wind, and those nasty grass burr stickers through our skin and sense of touch. In many cases we have little control over what we consume, like the cold winds we have had already this season. But for most of us, most of the time, we have a ton of control over what we consume. I have been wondering lately what would happen if we all realized how much control we have and started exercising that control over our consumption.
I have never been very good at memorizing things, but one Bible verse has lurked around the edges of my thoughts for always. Here is one paraphrased version from The Message—“… you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst: the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” I think that is universally good advice no matter your beliefs. Of course the worst, the ugly, and things to curse sometimes intrude despite our best efforts. Those are the things we really have little control over, but what about the part we can control? I realized I had accidentally slipped away from being an avid consumer of crime dramas, true crime stories, etc., then realized that a lot of negative thoughts and feelings had also slipped away. It is enough to make me want to re-evaluate most of my habits and choices about what I allow into my brain and body.
I have gotten into the habit of spending a little time after Christmas and around New Year’s Day doing some looking back and looking forward, then setting some intentions. 2023’s intentions are probably going to be informed by the aforementioned passage from Philippians. Maybe I will even try to memorize it. Spring-CreekArtsGuild@gmail.com