Defiance is not a healthy thing -- the majority of the time.
Defiance is the instigator, the kid who throws a rock and hides his hand and sits to watch the melee, and is unleashed by the ego. The ego is a flabby, undisciplined mess that stares at shiny objects, craves instant gratification instantly and would rather be right and alone and unloved than happy with loving company. It is a dangerous pair: defiance and your ego. Each is willing to get the other arrested but neither will provide bail when needed.
If you don't understand if you're motivated by rational thought or defiance, your ego's henchman, consider paying attention to physiological clues. Racing heart rate, racing thoughts and flushed cheeks are a sure sign your adrenaline is pumping and you are about to act like a crazy fool. Defiance has come over to punch you in the face on the request of your ego.
If you don't understand why defiance may be a problem in your life, consider writing out a list of times at which you were defiant and how your actions were received. You might also want to look at yourself in the mirror and apologize.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Saturday, June 15, 2013
What poverty are you addicted to? by Odilia Rivera-Santos A.K.A. @Bezotes
When a person is addicted to a certain kind of poverty, there is always a compelling story behind it; the compelling story leads to the formation of character traits, which can become a source of pride.
What kind of poverty are you addicted to and how can you change the story?
Prune the story.
Instead of adding more details, state a fact simply in one sentence.
Turn your tragedy into a haiku.
List character traits borne of your haiku tragedy
Write down who this haiku tragedy turned you into and meditate on how well this person functions in the everyday world.
Does he/she feel happy, content, angry, sad?
Experiment with small changes
If your haiku taught you to be a loner, make a list of events you'd like to attend and go out twice per week and talk to at least three people.
If your haiku taught you to be an emotional eater, make a phone call instead.
If your haiku taught you to choose unhealthy romantic partners, stop choosing and give yourself a vacation from the world of love. It will still be there when you get back from a mini-vacation.
If your haiku taught you to forget to take care of yourself, write down 20 self-care actions and keep the list near your bed as a reminder that self-care is like brushing your teeth.
Could you deal with being an upgraded, happier version of yourself?
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Self-Awareness is not achieved in isolation; it takes a village by Odilia Rivera-Santos
I was talking to an obese woman (over 300 lbs) and she explained how weight gain was genetic and cited a lot of convoluted science to bolster her argument. I didn't say much because I don't argue with the stories people tell themselves to avoid doing what they have to do.
The obese woman calming spoke about food additives, food corporations' desire to create addictive foods, etc. The fascinating thing was she ate two large bagels loaded with cream cheese and proceeded to eat muffins and drink a large high-calorie coffee beverage. She was completely unaware of what a huge quantity of food she had consumed in a very short period of time. It was one of the moments in which I could truly see a person getting high from food. Her speech became more lethargic and her eyes began to glaze over. I didn't say anything because I've learned from prior experience not to get between an individual and his or her choice of weapon for self-destruction.
It did make me think about self-awareness. Not only did she not see how much she was eating, but she was also unaware of how people stared at her as they walked by our table.
Studies on genetic predisposition for a particular condition may be flawed and even if they are completely accurate, it is our job as caretakers of our bodies to fight to prevent negative outcomes.
It is often the case that fat children have fat parents and fat grandparents who all eat calories from sources that negatively affect sugar levels and metabolism.
Sometimes, it isn't genetics; sometimes, it's learned behavior.
The obese woman calming spoke about food additives, food corporations' desire to create addictive foods, etc. The fascinating thing was she ate two large bagels loaded with cream cheese and proceeded to eat muffins and drink a large high-calorie coffee beverage. She was completely unaware of what a huge quantity of food she had consumed in a very short period of time. It was one of the moments in which I could truly see a person getting high from food. Her speech became more lethargic and her eyes began to glaze over. I didn't say anything because I've learned from prior experience not to get between an individual and his or her choice of weapon for self-destruction.
It did make me think about self-awareness. Not only did she not see how much she was eating, but she was also unaware of how people stared at her as they walked by our table.
Studies on genetic predisposition for a particular condition may be flawed and even if they are completely accurate, it is our job as caretakers of our bodies to fight to prevent negative outcomes.
It is often the case that fat children have fat parents and fat grandparents who all eat calories from sources that negatively affect sugar levels and metabolism.
Sometimes, it isn't genetics; sometimes, it's learned behavior.
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