I needed a little fresh air this afternoon so I took a quick break to carry my trash out. Yup, that’s what a break looked like today. Anyways, while I was walking, a thought popped into my head:
Joy is something I create, not something I consume.
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I’ve shared with you guys the deep, scary details of my past binges. I’d get more “pleasure” from planning to binge than I would from actually eating the food. Nonetheless, I thought eating brought me pleasure.
I never thought, however, that food filled me with joy. In fact, I was very much aware that there was very little joy in my life.
I know that many of you still cling to food and argue that it helps – that it calms you down, helps you manage emotion or is something you really enjoy.
I won’t try to argue any of those points with you, but I just want to reiterate the thought that came to me today:
Joy is something you create, not something you consume.
I drifted from joy for a long time. I didn’t know how to get it back.
I am now very intentional about creating joy. When I’m not sure how to do it, I’ll just try something. I’ll take a risk or say “yes” to an adventure. I’ll sing out loud. I’ll play & be silly. I’ll try to be more child-like. More spontaneous. More open.
I create situations where I can say, “Screw it, let’s do it!” instead of choosing to stay in my comfortable bubble.
Joy doesn’t consume from food consumption, media consumption, alcohol consumption – joy isn’t consumed. It’s created.
How can you create joy? If you aren’t sure, what are some things you could try?
I really loved today’s workout, even though it was hard as hell. It was my first time squatting under a barbell in probably 4 weeks & it felt pretty good. Hard, but good.
“Satans Whiskers”
3 Rounds:
10 Pull-ups
10 Front Squats (135/95)
10 Burpees
The front squats took every ounce of energy I had for reps 8-10. After the workout I went for a short walk to catch my breath and keep my blood flowing. While many people drop to the ground after a workout, I never do. I’ve got to stay moving. Physically, I think it helps me recover faster. I also keep moving as a practice in slowing down my breathing intentionally instead of just flopping around on the ground until my heart rate slows. It’s a skill I want to build so I practice.
On the food front:
Two days in a row with the bulletproof coffee. As I mentioned yesterday, I don’t drink it very often but I enjoyed it yesterday so had it again this morning, before my workout.
Around 10am I had a simplified cabbage salad bowl with raw cabbage, a little bacon, 1 hard boiled egg and half an avocado.
I’m headed out to do some car shopping this afternoon and plan to get a large coffee as a treat to keep me happy during the arduous process.
I’m going out to dinner tonight and since I’ve got a big weekend of celebrating ahead, I’ll be keeping the food choices super clean tonight. Veggies, a little protein, some fat. No starch. No alcohol. No sugar.
For details on navigating the weekend, make sure you’re following me on Instagram & Anchor!
See you soon!