"Abstaining is easier than moderating..." Gertrude RubinYesterday I read a post from Gertrude Rubin. Gertrude wrote The Happiness Project and the more recent Better Than Before, both spent some time on The New York Times Best Seller list. The topic of Happiness seems to be one that millions have embraced...including me.
In her post she discussed the difference between moderating a bad habit and abstaining from it altogether. She referred to French fries as her habit to abstain from eating. Her followers likened their experiences from gluten to corn syrup. As I was reading, my mind invisioned fast food. A while back I had an ingrained habit of picking up some fast food rather than waiting until I got home, or taking the time to go to a restaurant. Like Gertrude and her followers, I had found it increasingly difficult to moderate. I had every intention of keeping my trips to only once a week. But then I would rationalize. It seems I always had a reason why today was a good day to drive-thru. The thought of 'abstaining' translated in my head to: 'never.' I will never again be able to eat fast food in my car. Now, just saying, "in my car," sounds awful to me! Who really wants to juggle food between them and a steering wheel? Or, worse yet, clean a spot off their clothes on their way to an appointment or to run an errand? But then I was sick for a while and didn't leave the house. When feeling better, I tried to travel with carrot sticks to prevent the, "I'm famished!" excuse. Shortly it had been several weeks since I had eaten fast food. To my surprise, it was easier than I thought, more like taking the proverbial baby steps. (And this was before I read Rubin's post.) Yet, one thing in her post helped me look at abstaining differently. Gertrude suggested that the use of negative thinking doesn't support happiness. Instead she suggested a simple re-wording, from "never again..." to "I'm free from..." So as I read her post I said aloud, "Now, I'm free from drive-thru fast food." It felt so empowering! It didn't feel like I was depriving myself at all. Instead, I felt in control of a former bad habit. I think it helped that it was a 'baby step' instead of trying to change all my eating behaviors at once. What next? Gluten? Is there something in your life that drains your happiness? Would you like to try out Gertrude's philosophy on abstaining vs. moderating? Let me know how it goes. Lord, remind me when I'm shopping to buy only gluten free products and to ask for help when I'm making choices in restaurants. Amen "For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Gertrude Rubin, blogger, author and biographer, has written The Happiness Project and Better Than Before, focusing on being happy and content in any situation.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
All
Archives
July 2019
|