Choosing what to Consume

It started sometime in high school. I just had to start speaking my mind. It is a curse, I know, but since then it is just a part of being Deby. Most of all, it meant that sometimes I'm not going to be swimming with the stream. I always have a choice. I can keep my mouth shut, but that would mean being someone else.

Thus is the case now. Before I read any book, I read the summary to find out if it is a book I might be interested in reading. I chose to read books that uplift me, inform or inspire me. I, also, try to be mindful of what I put into my mind. I take the saying, "You are what you eat," to another level, "You are what you consume."

We consume through our mouths, our ears and our eyes.

The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh has this to say about mindful consumption,

When I was a child, I used to argue with my parents when I wanted to do or have something, that everyone else was doing it or having it. This was not a valid argument to them then, and it is no more valid to me now. However, don't we all like to feel connected, even if that means eating a certain way or reading a book that almost literally, "everyone else is reading?" After all, swimming against the stream can be awfully lonely sometimes. This is something I have dealt with for the past 35 years. When I chose to home school my three sons, I received many raised eyebrows and even some angry comments about cheating my children from the experience of true learning. When I asked a doctor for alternative remedies for my son's asthma, she accused me of not wanting to give my son his medicine and being a neglectful mother. I later found out that cow's milk aggravates asthma. I cut it out of my son's diet and he never needed asthma medication again.

So now when it seems that almost everyone is eating meat or reading a certain book, I consciously make the choice whether or not to eat or read. Sometimes I choose wisely and sometimes I don't. What I do know is that, without a doubt, my choices have an impact on me and oftentimes on many others. Therefore, I try to learn from my poor choices, and I pay attention when I make decisions that elevate my spirit. All of this leads to creating a more conscious life. A happier life, in my experience.

紫流. "Fat Cat." Flickr. Yahoo!, 05 Apr. 2006. Web. 22 Jan. 2015.