Self-Developement

There are numerous books and millions of articles on self-developement. There is no shortage. Many of these books and articles have common themes and some are “out of the box”. One thing that most have in common is that developement is an evolutionary process and will not be forced. Self-developement is like a rose in bloom. When a rose is given soil with the right nutrients, the right amount of water and a balance of light and darkness it will eventually develop into a beautiful, fully blossoming rose. When a rosebud appears on the stem, if you try to force the rose into bloom by pulling the pedals outward the rose will wither and never become fully developed.

As we move through life it is in our human nature to want better for ourselves, whatever “better” may be. It is simply our nature to progress and move forward. As we do this patience is in order. We may have our eyes on a goal such as a job promotion or enhancing a creative endeavor such as painting, or writing. More often than not, whatever the goal it will take time. During this time we would do well to keep our “eye on the prize”. Move forward each day with the end in mind and know that it will all come to fruition in right timing when we do what is ours to do and release the rest to the Universe.

Mindful Eating

In our hurried society (especially this time of the year) we have all but lost the ability to really appreciate, taste and enjoy our food. We find ourselves just bolting down anything that we can find that is quick and convienient. I am writing from experience. I enjoy being busy and productive, therefore, I must plan for meals or I end up doing what I just described. Planning in advance keeps me from eating whatever is handy or skipping meals altogether.

Since beginning my spiritual practice of Insight Meditation, some years ago, I have learned the steps to mindful eating. I cannot say that I always follow these steps but I am getting better at it as time goes by. The steps that I have learned are:

• Take time to be genuinely thankful for the food. Bless it and all of the people that it took to get it to you.
• Allow yourself time to look at the food and really breathe in the aromas. It is said, “We eat first with our eyes.”
• Eat slowly. Chew each bite thoroughly. Feel the textures and really taste the flavors of the food.
• Eat only to the level of satiety. For most people that would be about 2 cupped handfuls.By eating slowly we are aware of being satisfied much sooner. Much of the time this leads to weight loss and a healthier body.
•  Sit for a period after eating and allow yourself once again to be thankful.

For more in depth instruction and information on mindful eating there is a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk, entitled Mindful Eating.