By Ricky Parcell
In this week’s article we are going to look at how we can make better decisions around food, alcohol and other events which befall us in life.
Most people are driven by old automatic patterns or behaviors and these are learnt early in our younger years. As we develop into our teens and adulthood, most of these “passed on patterns” are already in grained in us. They are usually taught by parents but also come from the need for familiarity and survival. These become “unconscious choices”. Here’s a look at how they manifest in our daily lives:
THE LEFT PATH – Unconcious, automatic “staying clear of fear” choices!
Welcome to “the left path – automatic, safe and easy choices, which are usually made out of fear and will become very normal after a while. Here are some examples: Brushing your teeth when you wake up;
always ordering the same food at a restaurant or making the same lunch and taking it to work; sitting in the same place on your commute or driving the same route to work; drinking a glass of wine when cooking, or after a hard day at work, on a daily basis; watching TV every night whilst eating at the same time.
THE RIGHT PATH – Conscious and loving thoughts which are carefully made decisions make from a place of mindfulness and awareness.
This is known as “the right path” – Mindful and awareness based choices which help you enable yourself to find the best way to live. Here are some examples of conscious, mindful choices: ordering food from a menu and becoming AWARE what and why you are ordering that food or drink; pausing and becoming mindful how you FEEL when you arrive home from work and THINK before you pour that glass of wine or beer; before speaking, pausing and checking in WITH YOURSELF before you speak out loud to your loved one about a problem; consciously slowing down your eating and mindful eating your food with no distractions.
At any point with make a decision in our lives around food, alcohol or anything, we are always at a point of choice, and when we realize we can choose the left path or right path – then we can regain full personal power over our lives.
Which path will you choose today?
Rick Parcell
Strategic Intervention Coach
www.thebodycamp.com
