I went to the grocery store the other morning after the gym. I wanted to get some fruit and some dates and that was about it. To get them, I had to walk by a breakfast buffet filled with sausages, eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and a variety of other things. It smelled good, salty and fatty and savoury, and people were filling up containers to go.
It didn’t make me want to eat it at all. Even though I was hungry, I want to feel good. None of that food makes me feel good.
I grabbed a couple of kiwi fruit and the dates and headed for the register. To get there I had to walk through displays of chocolate bars, potato chips, and candy. Then on my way out there was a big rack full of croissants and donuts and other baked goodies.
The stores aren’t stupid. They know that we are weak. If you aren’t paying attention, before you know it you are back at your desk eating a 1000-calorie croissant and not thinking about how much fat it contains.
We are so fortunate. Every day we are bombarded by different decisions to make because there are so many options. What to wear, what to eat, what kind of work we want to do – all of these are choices that we make all of the time.
We take it for granted, but it never hurts to be thankful that we live in a time where we have alternatives. There are still many people in the world who don’t have the luxury of choice, and certainly history is full of stories of lack and persecution.
We are here though and it is now. What happened before is good to know, but it doesn’t need to steer our lives in this moment. Use the knowledge of the past and be appreciative for where we are now.
It baffles me that people make choices that hurt themselves or others and then don’t take responsibility for it. Obesity is an epidemic but no one talks about how it contributes to disease and early mortality. Instead the discussion is more on fat-shaming instead of on health and fitness.
It’s always a personal choice. Maybe a lack of information is causing people to choose unhealthy habits over healthy ones. Unfortunately, companies who have vested interests in selling their products are often at the root of misleading studies and spreading misinformation.
Soon the evidence will be overwhelming about our lifestyle and how it affects health and then people can decide for themselves how they want to live and feel. It’s like smoking – it took a long time for the studies to be accepted as truth. Even now some people still choose to smoke. It’s baffling but a good study in psychology.
Sometimes we knowingly do things that harm ourselves or others. Rational thought is forsaken for immediate gratification. Feelings of self-hatred can lurk beneath the surface, causing us to do all manners of harm without a second thought.
But they are our choices to make. At least if you are now suffering the consequences of the decisions you have made, take ownership of it. Look in the mirror and admit that you did it to yourself. You lose your power to change by blaming the world for where you are and how you feel. It limits the ability you have to start making better choices.
Do what you want to do, but remember that it’s a choice that you are making. At least be aware of what you are doing, even when companies are hoping that you aren’t paying attention so they can take your money.
The actions you take today will determine what your future looks like.