By Gregg Sanderson
Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like, and let the food fight it out inside.—Mark Twain
“You are what you eat.”A popular phrase accepted as a truism by many. It conjures up pictures of me as a talking carrot, or covered with cream cheese and lox, or as a metaphysical cow, but, since I often enjoy nuts, I’m not entirely comfortable with the motto.
I prefer, “You are what you think. Then you eat.”
A paradox of the spiritual journey is the quest to overcome limitations, while simultaneously embracing dietary restrictions.
“I am an unlimited reflection of the Infinite, but salt will give me water on the knee.”
“I get my power from Spirit, but I can’t eat anything fried.
And a favorite: “Spiritual people eat vegetables. Inferior ones eat meat. Namaste.”
Of course you know I’m kidding, yet many a true word is said in jest.
Beliefs are the law of your life. Conditions don’t affect spiritual truths. Our use of the truth affects conditions. So does our misuse of it.
Your thinking creates your world, so what do you create when you think something is bad for you? That’s right. That also applies when you think something is good for you. Put it all together and you have a Belief System, appropriately abbreviated B.S.
Other factors enter into it and influence the B.S. There is scientific evidence, consensus of believers, even social pressure, and a different B.S. appeals to different folks at different times on the way to enlightenment.
I just returned from a health fair that offered a myriad of methodologies designed to increase well-being and promote good health. It’s a wonderful potpourri, and of course every discipline appeals to those receptive to it. But it’s all B.S.
There is, however, a line to draw. Despite the old wives’ tale, sauce for the goose may not be sauce for the gander. In fact, for some it may not be sauce at all, so your B.S. might not fit well with somebody else’s. Never fear, there’s enough B.S. to go around.
The spiritual truth is that every B.S. works, so none are better or worse in that department. Whatever you believe about healthy living is your reality, perfectly valid, and I applaud you for it, but never forget that sanctimony is the world’s least appealing character trait.
You have your B.S., I have mine, and enlightenment will be there whenever we arrive.
And I still think carob is a lousy substitute for chocolate.
Gregg Sanderson is author of Spirit With A Smile, The World According To BOB. He is a licensed practitioner in the Centers for Spiritual Living, and a Certified Trainer for Infinite Possibilities. His earlier books were, What Ever Happened To Happily Ever After? and Split Happens—Easing The Pain Of Divorce. His latest project is the New Thought Global Network, where subscribers can enjoy the best in New Thought presentations from anywhere at any time. You can see it at http://www.newthoughtglobal.org.