“First the roots, then the fruits.” – Reverend Deborah Johnson
So there I was last week faced with a dilemma. I had just poured a nice cup of freshly brewed coffee, and opened the cupboard to reach for something to sweeten it up. My mind was saying, “Now Michelle, you know that sugar and artificial sweeteners are ‘bad’ for you, and you coach people around making healthy choices, so you should really have the Stevia.” But the undeniable truth is that I don’t LIKE Stevia in my coffee. It just doesn’t taste as good to me. Nor does agave nectar, honey, maple syrup or any of the other “industry- approved” sweeteners. What does taste good to me in my coffee is Splenda. Or straight up sugar. (GASP!)
So I made an executive decision. This is MY life, MY perfect day starting out, and I want to start it with an experience of pleasure and satisfaction. If I take the Stevia I know I won’t have the same nourishing experience of sipping my morning coffee. And I’ll probably still crave sweetness later. So in went the Splenda, and boy was it tasty. And the next day I used raw cane sugar. Even better.
Afterward, I posted a funny comment about it on Facebook, and this kicked off a very lively discussion. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people agreed that pure or real (as in the sugar) is best, and that you gotta go with what you like. Or as one of my favorite characters says in the movie Boogie Nights – “Wear what you dig.”
And it reminded me that ultimately, no matter what the experts say, or whatever the latest nutrition or fashion trend is, we have to make the decisions that are best for US. With what we eat, what we wear, AND in how we live.
So how do you do that? Well, to me it comes down to a pretty simple recipe:
Information: Yes gather as much information as you can about your options and some of the results they might have. But don’t get too attached to any piece of information being “right” or “wrong”. It’s just information.
Trial and Error: Try stuff out. There’s no law that says if you try something you have to keep doing it forever. What’s a problem for one person can work perfectly for someone else. Listen to your body. Carefully. It can give you all the feedback you need. Tune into ALL of your senses. What do you see, smell, taste, touch, hear, feel inside? What do you notice initially, and what do you notice later? Put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and do a little sleuthing.
Go for Pleasure: How do the different choices make you FEEL? Not just in the moment, but long term. I’m not talking about being a hedonist here, I’m not talking about eating chocolate cake for breakfast every day because it’s a pleasure hit in those 5 minutes. (Besides, if you were really listening to your body you probably wouldn’t get great feedback on that). But here’s the thing. Pleasure is beyond important, it’s your Divine birthright! I personally want to feel nourished and delighted and satisfied on a daily basis, don’t you?
Own It: Make the choice that feels best to you in the long run, and release judgement. Take the imaginary hands of the naysayers, doubters and criticizers chattering away in your head, thank them for their information, and gently walk them to the door. This is your life, your choice! You’ve made an informed decision, and only you know what works for you.
Ultimately… make yourself your own most trusted expert. This is where the art of Exquisite Self Care Begins. When you learn to master your inner guidance system (your roots), your life begins to bear amazing fruits!
