Dieting - Choices

I think its important for you all to know that the following has nothing to do with food. The only reason I feel a disclaimer might be necessary is because I am confident that the last thing that anyone wants on a Monday morning is my opinion on healthy eating.

Due to a number of circumstances, my life lately has boiled to down to a lot of choices. The choices I face are not synonymous with options; I’m not choosing between left and right or A and B, these types of choices are circumstantial. I am making the kind of choices that are abstract and overarching, they are the kind of choices that dictate the kind of person I will be, they are the choices that define the manner in which I do things more than they define the things I do. The choice statements I am making (or at least trying to make) extend far above the directional and circumstantial choices. It is as if to say, “Regardless of if I chose A or B, Right or Left, this or that, I choose to be ___________”

The choices I’m talking about are hard for me, and often they are contrary to my nature. However, I trust they are the right choices and therefore I carry on. If we live honest, public lives, these life defining choices can be scary, they force us to take a stand and be known. They draw clear lines, in the ways we talk, interact, and live life with each other.

In American Culture we talk about diets an awful lot, probably much more than we should. In any case, I think when most people hear the word “Diet”, they immediately associate it with, “Less food”, “no flavor”, “no fun”, “misery”, “I’m STARVING”. The reality is that a healthy diet isn’t about less choices, it’s about good choices. Its about redefining the way we go about eating.

Diet’s largely are not fun; the elimination of options is constricting and uncomfortable. We often end up eating things that we don’t like, and worst of all, we feel like we miss out on some of life’s truest pleasures…i.e. desert! Ultimately, we diet because we want change; we want a higher and better quality of life. We want health, longevity; we want the satisfaction that comes with making GOOD CHOICES. Making the good choices for a diet comes at a price, but the good news is that there is a return on that investment and in due time good choices yield good returns. Ultimately, what we hope (or should hope) happens through dieting, is that our appetite’s change altogether and the once hard and non-appealing choices become what we desire.

I took a shot in the dark on looking up the Latin root word for “diet”. I’ll go ahead and say that I am not the type of person who has language research as a habitual part of my internet routine. However, I got totally lucky on this one…and it just so happens that the Latin history of the word is applicable to my point. Plus, I feel that talking about things like root words and language structure makes me at least appear smarter than I truly am.

The root word for Diet is a Latin word, Dieata, which means “a way of life”. Diet, is about our lives, it’s about the choices we make about how we live. When we take that to the context of food, yes, what I put in my body communicates something about the big defining choices of my life. Our diets, or the way we live, is tied closely with the choices we make. It’s a two way street, choices indicate something about my way of life, and my way of life should impact my choices.

If there is a disconnect between these two things, you either need to asses the choices you make to align them with your belief system (way of life), or you’re fooling yourself about your way of life altogether, and you probably need to get a grip on the real “diet” you’re living by.

In my life, I am in the process of aligning a few things…I’m changing some choices I am making, also I’m reminding myself of and recommitting to choices I’ve wavered from. I’m seeking to align the choices to the way of life I have chosen. I’m reaffirming the way I will go about things, regardless of what it is that I ultimately go about doing.

Many of these choices feel like “eat your vegetables” types of decisions. I am making choices that are tough, they don’t taste good…and a lot of times I don’t like making them. But they are good choices, and over time I truly and deeply believe that making some of these hard to swallow decisions will serve to align my appetite, choices, and way of life.

Choosing to love people in my life even after they’ve hurt me, and when I’m scared I won’t be loved back.
Choosing to be hopeful when the outlook is grim,
Choosing to stay the course that God has called me to,
Choosing to stay positive
Choosing to pour into others, and relying on God to make me full

These are all eat your vegetables choices…they are hard! But making good choices can change our appetites, and what we desire altogether. We often confuse action with feeling…love, hope, perseverance, positivity, an encouraging spirit, being a servant, are all choices…they are not feelings. We are called to do these things, not feel these things. To my knowledge, there are no biblical commands associated with how we feel, rather there are plenty associated with what we do. We have to get our hands dirty, we have to eat our veggies, and often times we have to choke down some really unappetizing circumstances.

I think many people miss the boat by waiting to feel before they act. Rather, if we make the decisions to unwaveringly embody love, service, leadership, hopefulness, etc. feelings follow suit. By choosing to be more loving, I am choosing to see the world in a way which empowers me to love, therefore engraining the characteristics of love in me. By choosing to be positive, I am making decisions that universally shape my response to the elements around me…therefore making me positive. While we all may not be in fact loving, positive, cheery, smiley, neat and well polished people; we can make choices to live loving, positive, real authentic lives.

For most of us, love, hope, patience, etc. are contrary to our nature, but what I am finding in my own life right now is that my appetite is changing as a result of the choices I am making in my spiritual diet. It’s a process, and for me right now, I’m not adjusted to the flavors of some of the menu choices I’m making, but I’m coming around. I want to be clear, that it doesn’t feel great, and its tough, but they are the right choices.

So as you’re looking at the world around you and specifically your life, I’d encourage you not to ask “What am I?” but rather “What do I chose to be?”

Hungrily yours,
CP