BYWAYS
By Kurt Waterstradt
I have a serious sweet tooth and I love cereal.
Obviously, this isn’t good for my overall health, but it’s something I’ve tried to manage, with some success, since I was a kid. Well, not as a kid, but as an adult near the midpoint of my journey.
Unlike my childhood, I am acutely reminded by my body that what I take in directly impacts how I feel.
You can’t outwork a bad diet. I tried. I was running 40-50 miles a week, strength training, and practicing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. My movement and bad diet didn’t leave me feeling healthy because they were symptoms of bigger issues. However, like so many, I placed more emphasis on them because they felt more in my control and easier to address.
In reality, I was a mental and emotional mess, using food and fitness to self-soothe and mask (or avoid) my problems.
My unhealthy consumption extended to binge watching mind-numbing shows or doom scrolling social media. While I knew health was more than food and physical fitness, I didn’t think about how my choices and actions were a reflection of how I felt inside.
Eminent teacher and spiritual leader Khangser Rinpoche said, “Remember that life is like a mirror: everything you perceive reflects your inner world. Cleaning your dirty mirror of distorting smudges means clearing self-deception and coming closer to the truth.”
Think about your life. What do you watch? What do you listen to? Which shows do you binge watch? Do you endlessly scroll social media? Do your thoughts, words, and actions align with your values? Do you feel loved? Do you freely love others? Are you living an authentic life?
When your perception reflects negativity, depression, or anxiety, perhaps it’s time to consider what you’re perceiving in the world. Where’s your focus? What do you feel? Enough smudges on your mirror and you’re not reflecting your true essence, the one that makes you happy and the world better.
I know the immediate reaction upon recognizing unhealthy lifestyle choices is embracing radical change, but that rarely works. Like any fad diet or workout trend, there’ll be a spike in progress, followed by a plateau, and ultimately a return to the beginning.
Sustainable change is the only way forward. Instead of trying to wipe your mirror clean all at once, put effort into cleaning one smudge. By employing all your focus and willpower on one smudge, you’re choosing the path of lasting change.
Find a sustainable approach that works for you. Don’t worry about the time it takes to change. Every person is different so fight the urge to compare yourself to others. Consistency over speed is the only path to sustainable change and its benefits will lead to the healthiest, happiest, and most authentic version of yourself.
So…what’s first?