Faith Venture

“Obesity is a disease, not a choice.” So proclaims a billboard along I-90 in northern Indiana that I pass on every trip to Chicago.

I know the American Medical Association has redefined obesity, but I worry that many people will look at their physical condition as not their responsibility and just search for the magic pill that will end all their physical and emotional woes.

But whoever wrote the message on the board (bad advertising, I don’t remember the company) is correct in that obesity–like many other of our problems–is not a decision. It’s the result of a pattern of decisions–or non-decisions.

We develop patterns either consciously or unconsciously. It’s all the little decisions we make that add up. One day we don’t feel like  going out for some exercise or to the gym. The second day we don’t feel like it. We have a conflict on the third day. Then one day we realize we have established a pattern of inactivity.

It’s the same for everything. Our pattern of eating too much of the wrong food. Our pattern of either helping other people in big and little ways–or ignoring other people. Our pattern of rising early enough for study and reflection–or our pattern of sleeping until the last minute forcing us to rush through the morning.

Patterns must be replaced by other patterns. First we must decide who we are. Socrates said, “Be as you wish to seem.” First, say to yourself, “I’d like to be a nice person.” Or, “I’d like to be a physically fit person.” Or, “I’d like to be a person at peace with myself and others.”

If we know who we want to be, then we can begin “doing as we wish to seem.” The little choices that are made many times a day change. I want to be a nice person. I see someone whose arms are loaded with packages and I rush to open the door for them–or offer to help carry the packages. I smile and say thank you. I create a pattern.

It’s not rocket science, as they say. Humans knew this 5,000 years ago. But practicing it every day–that’s the challenge.

Henry Cloud recently popped up in my iTunes list. His books, especially Boundaries and Necessary Endings, have greatly influenced me. In fact, the latter book encouraged me to complete a necessary ending–and with it a couple of new beginnings.

He is a psychologist who studies deeply into neuroscience. He tried a joke on his audience, who evidently was hanging in such awe at his every word that it went over their heads. “The brain is such a wonderful thing, it’s like whoever created it had read the Bible.”  (You’ll get it later.)

So much of the Wisdom literature along with other writings perfectly align with what researchers discovered thousands of years later applying the scientific method.

One thing is attention. We cannot focus on more than one thing. Multitasking is a myth. I like music playing when I’m working. But it must be background “noise”. If it’s singing and the words break through my consciousness, then my focus is done.

If I am deeply concentrating on a task–say in my case it would be writing or reading–and then I interrupt the flow to check email, I am done. Cloud says that research says it takes at least 20 minutes to get back into that flow.

A new person came to my Yoga class last night. The first thing I teach in Yoga is attention–focus on your body, still the mind. I look over at her–a young woman or maybe even high school girl (when you get older like me, they all look young). She has her smartphone out and she’s texting. Ah, my challenge right away is to change her focus and keep her attention on her body and mind for the next 50 minutes. I was proud of her. She didn’t even get the phone out during final relaxation. She was actually still.

And that is just the attitude we need. Intentionally (meaning “on purpose”) focus our minds on our task–whether it’s study, meditation or celebration. Just live in that moment. Let the emails lie for a while. They’ll still be there.