The Gift of Self-Control

There are times in your life where you relax, let go of the rules and just have fun.

You may dance, sing loudly, drink or eat foods that you normally don’t eat.

You say to yourself, “Enough of the rules, tonight I will let go and enjoy myself.”

Then you do. Until the next day when you wake up late and guilty and swear that you will never allow yourself that freedom again, but you do, eventually, and the cycle continues.

The real villain is not your craving, it is guilt. You keep yourself so tightly restricted that eventually, you grow tired and must loosen your grip.

Then you overindulge. You become a mindless machine that cannot turn itself off. You eat massive amounts of junk food, play hours of video games, drink until you are sick, then you enforce a state of famine.

Your body, mind and emotions feel deprived. This spiritual hunger grows until you can stand it no longer and you let go and indulge again.

To break this cycle, use your head. Practice doing the things you enjoy, mindfully. 

Try cutting your food into small bites and chew slowly. Enjoy the mixture of flavors, feel the food fill your stomach until you are satisfied.

If you drink, sip slowly. Feel the warmth of the liquid, the tingling on your tongue, the pleasant buzz in your head as the drink hits your bloodstream.

If it helps to think of this as a spiritual practice, go ahead. It is.

Whatever you do, be present. Give 100% of yourself to the task. Feel the satisfaction that results from a job well done. Marvel about the amazing feats you can accomplish when you pay attention to the task at hand.

Try this once a day, then more if you like. 

Slow down and capture every minute of this amazing life on Earth. It goes by very quickly.

Give your life more attention and you will find that you have all of the self-control that you need. 

What is that you say? You cannot do this? That is your guilt talking.

Have a cookie. Take small bites, chew, enjoy. That should quiet him down.

~Silas