One of my Master’s Club clients recently recommended Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening and I’ve been reading one passage each day.
In his October 6th entry, he tells a story about a lesson he learned while taking a walk with his 6-year-old godson.
They were standing in an open field when the wind kicked up and the young boy started to run and twirl. With the wind rushing around him, he said, “If you run too fast, you can’t tell what’s real!”
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If you run too fast, you can’t tell what’s real.
To be honest, I think this was a big part of why I struggled with food for so long. I think this – rushing – was a big part of why I chose to binge and overindulge for so long.
I was rushing through my moments, rushing to react to every temptation and thought, rushing through my decisions – I couldn’t tell what was real.
When you’re rushing, you can’t tell that thoughts like, “What’s the point? I don’t even care!” aren’t real. There’s a major point. You do care.
When you’re rushing, you can’t always tell that the “desire” to eat cold leftovers off your child’s plate isn’t real. They’re not even good. They’re not worth it.
When you’re rushing through your email responses or your reactions to your spouse, you can’t always tell what is real. Is this worth being annoyed or hurt? Are you making assumptions? Do you care enough to let it bother you? Is there another way you could see it?
Slow down.
I’m slowing down.
I’m giving myself a bit of a pause before I make food choices.
I’m giving myself a pause when I feel stressed or overwhelmed.
I’m choosing to slow down when my feathers get ruffled.
Why?
Because when you run too fast, you can’t tell what is real.
Try slowing down today.