Can you give up something you crave?
Last Spring I was giving a talk to a women’s club. It was during Lent (as it is now). One woman said that she gave up alcohol for Lent. The woman next to her blurted out, “Oh! I could never give up anything!”
This gave me great sadness. I wanted to stop giving my talk about anti-inflammatory eating & just sit with them to dig into this great topic of attachment. But alas, I moved on.
I’m sure this woman though, if she really thought about it, could give up something. But her response, as is ours so often, is that we do not believe we have the capacity to give up anything.
The problem: changes are necessary but hard.
The problem we face is that we need to make changes for the sake of our health of body & spirit. However, we find it hard to do so because we…
- Are attached to certain foods & the sensations they provide
- Are attached to the way we currently live
- Fear we won’t be capable of achieving our goals
- Fear of emptiness if we let go of attachments
- Fear of the unknown in that new life
- And so many more.
If you desire to live a healthier life (eat nutritious foods, be more physically fit, prevent/manage/reverse chronic conditions, etc) but find it difficult to do so, think about this:
Could you give up ONE thing you are attached to?
I ask because making changes in our health is a journey that evokes more and more daily moments of discipline. And I have seen in my own life & in the lives of many clients that freedom from attachment is so key in our health journey.
Giving up just one little thing, bringing in discipline in one little area of our life gives us the strength and virtue needed to progress toward more discipline & growth.
How to make changes to your health
Start by reflecting on areas of attachment in your life & where there might be a bit of excess there:
- Eating habits (eating late at night, buying a latte every morning, etc)
- Exercise or lack of exercise
- Social media
- Noise (background music, TV, podcasts, etc)
- Altering your appearance through excessive makeup, hairstyles, clothing, etc.
- Etc.
Choose just ONE thing to give up.
Do it for just one day to start, and perhaps add on more days from there.
You will feel stretched. Don’t shame yourself for feeling that stretch, even if it seems like it should be so easy for you.
Attachments are exactly that- they are “attached” to us. When we remove them, it hurts a bit.
But attachments are not PART of us. They are simply “attached”.
They don’t have to be.
Prayer to Stop Overeating
God, here I am. I acknowledge your presence. I acknowledge my inability to do this on my own. I realize that I have been hurt by sin, whether my own sins or sins of others in the past. And I recognize my fears, emotions, and attachments in this moment.
Although I be tempted always, may my eyes be ever fixed on you. I tether myself to you. I share my yoke with you. You give me strength to keep pursuing life with you.
May I, as a humble servant to your Will, gain true freedom in the way I eat & nourish my body & spirit. May I be freed from the slavery of addiction of overeating.
When I come face to face with a tempting situation, help me to call upon you, Jesus, as I am doing now. Help me to recognize the temptation for what it is – a false path that leads me away from fullness of life & disintegrates my spirit from you.
In your name, Jesus, I cast away the lies that tempt me. Take me into your embrace. Tether my heart to you once again. Amen.
If you are interested in further exploring this idea of attachment & your health goals, contact me to schedule a FREE discovery call.
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