short, but interesting article on relationship between fast food and psychological/financial health
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/fast-food-empty-piggy-b...
damn. had some more comments on it. then hit page back accidently. anyway
In short, they found a statistical link between being exposed to fast food related reminders (signs of fast food brands, pictures of food, commercials, and reliving of eating experiences) and engaging in more instant gratification oriented bahaviours in non food related areas.
people reminded of fast food experiences in various ways, not only used to enjoy other (high quality) experiences significantly less, but also this exposure leads to impatience for instance regarding long term financial decision.
On some level this has and/ or should have been already clear to many of us here. But the interesting point here is that you don't even need to engage in lower consciousnes behaviour. Exposure to reminders, like passing by a fast food restaurant is enough.
Thinking this relates only to fast food, would be relatively short sighted obviously. I'm pretty sure that further studies will solidify those findings. also concerning other areas.
Very very interesting. I had to program myself to stop indulging in food myself. Pretty mild but still, I'd find myself needing to "give my gift", but wasting it in the form of experiencing food. I had to cut that shit out.
I go in and I'm crisp, clean and my vocals are fucking coming out like music. - Anonymous MW student
- Autismus Terminus Finis (Root Cause/Cure of Autism Epidemic)
- Called Off My Wedding & Other Turn Tail Signs Of The American Male
Yeah, it's interesting.... people who are in program say that it's about finding a different "solution"- like alcohol or drugs or wtvr are the "solution" and it's about shifting your entire mind-set, almost brain-washing yourself, such that your solution becomes your higher-power. And I think it probably can be the same for food.
It's about re-programming your brain a bit. Like on some level if fast-food is your "solution", if fast-food is what you fundamnetally believe is a "reward", then no matter whaat you do, as long as you have that belief in place, you will always be at the mercy of your own will-power, and on some level will-power is always subject to break.
But, if you re-program your fundamental beliefs about what a reward is, then it's no longer about will-power. Program def. has its wonky shit, but there's actually a lotta wisdom thrown around
@MW: So you eat completely clean now?
I found that for me I have to go all or nothing. Did that with alcohol, cigs. and pot. But I know if just had one drag of a joint right now, with tiny bit of tobacco in it, I'd be smoking a big pack again tomorrow.
Sofar I could not bring myself to do the same with so food. Just Iove my potato chips too much, haha. sixpack's gotta wait.
@PF: I mean, yeah, that should work. One can addict oneself to higher level activities for sure. Might not even need it, if one has a made real decision to not do certain shit anymore. If its a real decision shitty stuff doesn't really come up on the radar as a potential action, so to say. F.i. I don't feel tempted to drink when my homies get drunk anymore. It's not even a potential aciton. So this doesn't cost me willpower.
Yet what really tripped me about this article, wasn't the individual level of things, but rather that it reminded me of how much the economic success of our (mostly western) societies depends on systematically weakening the resolve of our felllow men and women. I mean even for those of us who are actually able to understand the instant gratification lie, there is apparently singificant drag on our willpower from all sides alone from merely passing by all those pretty shiny things and their sweet promises of this world redemption - just a creditcard swipe away..
Even products that have potential longterm value get (have to be) sold as on instant gratification promises, and also get discarded as quickly as soon the hidden longterm effort becomes apparent under the thin guise of quick relief.
Depeding on my mood I find this either deeply ironic, profoundly tragic or utterly frightening.
Imagine a societety composed of all self-actualized, minimalist alpha men and women. Funky, ain't it? Don't see much room there to make money. Nobody would really want to anyway probably. Everyone just too fucking busy singing, dancing and fucking like nobodies watching.
I'd say as good little capitalist we cannot want this kind of society!
Just kidding. some grains of truth in there, though. Will need to think the whole line of thought though way more.
## food for thought##
Yeah, it's interesting.... people who are in program say that it's about finding a different "solution"- like alcohol or drugs or wtvr are the "solution" and it's about shifting your entire mind-set, almost brain-washing yourself, such that your solution becomes your higher-power. And I think it probably can be the same for food.It's about re-programming your brain a bit. Like on some level if fast-food is your "solution", if fast-food is what you fundamnetally believe is a "reward", then no matter whaat you do, as long as you have that belief in place, you will always be at the mercy of your own will-power, and on some level will-power is always subject to break.
But, if you re-program your fundamental beliefs about what a reward is, then it's no longer about will-power. Program def. has its wonky shit, but there's actually a lotta wisdom thrown around
Dude. In the end this is the bottom line. I've come to this same conclusion over and over agian. We should discuss this on the podcast. Can you make it this Tuesday?
I go in and I'm crisp, clean and my vocals are fucking coming out like music. - Anonymous MW student
- Autismus Terminus Finis (Root Cause/Cure of Autism Epidemic)
- Called Off My Wedding & Other Turn Tail Signs Of The American Male
Drinking is the "reward" that I have planted deep and have identified most strongly with. I don't necessarily think that if I'm going to remove that that it needs to by replaced specifically with something else but I do think of it as a release. It serves a purpose.
MW helped me put it in a really interesting perspective. Its a relief valve for creative energy. We each have a creative source, we are the container. If we are giving our gift and sharing our creativity we are "in flow". We achieve equilibrium with our creative source and the outpouring of ideas through whatever creative means. If we aren't sharing our creativity the container fills up and wants to spill over but it doesn't really. It keeps wanting to fill up and spill over. Drinking, drugs, shitty eating, tv, just about any low consciousness bullshit can serve as a relief valve for that creative energy.
So the question is not "how do I replace drinking" its "what do I do with all this creativity"
That's me about an hr ago.
I go in and I'm crisp, clean and my vocals are fucking coming out like music. - Anonymous MW student
- Autismus Terminus Finis (Root Cause/Cure of Autism Epidemic)
- Called Off My Wedding & Other Turn Tail Signs Of The American Male
Yes, so.. what do you replace it with? What do you have, what can you devote your time and energy and mental resources to. That's the eternal question every person faces. They've got to lasso their work/reward relationship.
This is extremely relevant for me right now as well. Chris I totally get you re the willpower. I notice this exact phenomena when I quit smoking. I made a hard fast decision to quit again a couple of weeks ago. It was a firm decision, as in I will not smoke at all at least until the end of June. (Probably not then either but that's the deal). Because it was a firm, quality decision; if I get a craving, I don't have to decide in the moment wether I'm going to smoke or not. I am not at the mercy of willpower, I can simply refer to my prior decision not to. If its not a firm decision, then I have to decide again each time a craving arises if that's the moment I break down. Smoking has been a real challenge, but not compared to drinking.Drinking is the "reward" that I have planted deep and have identified most strongly with. I don't necessarily think that if I'm going to remove that that it needs to by replaced specifically with something else but I do think of it as a release. It serves a purpose.
MW helped me put it in a really interesting perspective. Its a relief valve for creative energy. We each have a creative source, we are the container. If we are giving our gift and sharing our creativity we are "in flow". We achieve equilibrium with our creative source and the outpouring of ideas through whatever creative means. If we aren't sharing our creativity the container fills up and wants to spill over but it doesn't really. It keeps wanting to fill up and spill over. Drinking, drugs, shitty eating, tv, just about any low consciousness bullshit can serve as a relief valve for that creative energy.
So the question is not "how do I replace drinking" its "what do I do with all this creativity"
"Food is not my expression of desire and experience. It is my work"
I go in and I'm crisp, clean and my vocals are fucking coming out like music. - Anonymous MW student
- Autismus Terminus Finis (Root Cause/Cure of Autism Epidemic)
- Called Off My Wedding & Other Turn Tail Signs Of The American Male
Well currently its been my own self development. The gym, meditation, bioenergetics and vocal practice. Contributing to the forum also plays a role
That's not enough dude. Yes contributing to the forum is great, but how are you giving your gift by going to the gym? Or bioenergetics.
I go in and I'm crisp, clean and my vocals are fucking coming out like music. - Anonymous MW student
- Autismus Terminus Finis (Root Cause/Cure of Autism Epidemic)
- Called Off My Wedding & Other Turn Tail Signs Of The American Male
True. Its not enough, I know that
Imagine it like this: You have a hose that is spraying out water, and it can't be stopped. Like no matter what you do it just keeps pouring out. So, you can let it continue to just pour out on the concrete, you can continue to attempt to control the flow and stop it... or you can take that hose and go over to the nearest plot of flowers//grass etc. and put the hose over there, so at least you can grow some life from the situation.
Imagine it like this: You have a hose that is spraying out water, and it can't be stopped. Like no matter what you do it just keeps pouring out. So, you can let it continue to just pour out on the concrete, you can continue to attempt to control the flow and stop it... or you can take that hose and go over to the nearest plot of flowers//grass etc. and put the hose over there, so at least you can grow some life from the situation.
nice
Obviously going to the gym is great, and healthy. But what do you DO with it. Aesthetics aren't enough. I'm constantly upping my warrior skills, that's my overarching goal with fitness and nutrition. Some day I may really put them to use. The forum and the site and the coaching program is me helping shape the future, give guidance, etc., it's also is a check on myself as well, but this whole thing is me giving my gift pretty much to my utmost capability. It stretches me, I'm constantly working to improve a program that is entirely unique and brings massive help to people. Now you're attached to addictions, fine we all are but yours are pretty damn low-value. Are you meditating daily? Are you listening to Tolle and working on your mental and emotional control? If you're not you're a complete faggot. You know this by now. You need to kick yourself in your faggot ass and put on those headphones. I used to listen to Tolle for hours it was the leverage I needed to gain an edge on this whole thing. Now Tolle is your baseline, your floor. What's your ceiling? What's your purpose what are your goals. Give yourself things to achieve. Not bullshit like a boat, or rent money.. shit that actually matters, that lasts.
I go in and I'm crisp, clean and my vocals are fucking coming out like music. - Anonymous MW student
- Autismus Terminus Finis (Root Cause/Cure of Autism Epidemic)
- Called Off My Wedding & Other Turn Tail Signs Of The American Male
This is extremely relevant for me right now as well. Chris I totally get you re the willpower. I notice this exact phenomena when I quit smoking. I made a hard fast decision to quit again a couple of weeks ago. It was a firm decision, as in I will not smoke at all at least until the end of June. (Probably not then either but that's the deal). Because it was a firm, quality decision; if I get a craving, I don't have to decide in the moment wether I'm going to smoke or not. I am not at the mercy of willpower, I can simply refer to my prior decision not to. If its not a firm decision, then I have to decide again each time a craving arises if that's the moment I break down. Smoking has been a real challenge, but not compared to drinking.Drinking is the "reward" that I have planted deep and have identified most strongly with. I don't necessarily think that if I'm going to remove that that it needs to by replaced specifically with something else but I do think of it as a release. It serves a purpose.
MW helped me put it in a really interesting perspective. Its a relief valve for creative energy. We each have a creative source, we are the container. If we are giving our gift and sharing our creativity we are "in flow". We achieve equilibrium with our creative source and the outpouring of ideas through whatever creative means. If we aren't sharing our creativity the container fills up and wants to spill over but it doesn't really. It keeps wanting to fill up and spill over. Drinking, drugs, shitty eating, tv, just about any low consciousness bullshit can serve as a relief valve for that creative energy.
So the question is not "how do I replace drinking" its "what do I do with all this creativity"
"Food is not my expression of desire and experience. It is my work"
Yo man, I'm rooting for you. giving up smoking for real is a tough one. How much did you smoke?
Interesting question here is. How do we know we have made a real decision? My quick response is when we have fully accpeted the price. Concerning certain addictions, if then they are addctions the price is a that of changing your identity completely in this regard. and that is a rather tough price to pay.
And we do only want to pay that price if we get something really valuable in return. Motivation is a biggie.
This can either be on the negative health, sanity, or if our relationships suffer But shit must be pretty much boiling in order for us to be motivated by that and even that, for many isn't enough.
On the positive side, I'd say there this whole purpose thing, giving your gift as MW called it. If shitty behaviour holds us back from giving our best for ourselves and others I think that can be a way more powerful motivation do change ourselves in certain regards.
To maybe put this a little bit more in perspective:
When I finally stopped drinking smoking last year, I had already been doing that excessively for thirteen years. smoking roughly a package of cigs a day, even two or three if drunk. I had stopped several times before. between a few and a few months. In the last years I had slowly moved towards drinking less anyway. When I stopped it was because I decided that I have fucking done it.
If were to die right now, my last thought sure as wouldn't be: Damn Chris you should have smoked more jionts and cigarettes and got drunk more often. lol. I have done enough of that for five of me. So now its time for me to face my fears bit by bit, to write the songs and books that want to be written, to inspire those that want to be inspired to live up to my own values so that those around me may find the courage to live up to theirs.
Sounds a bit cheesy, and I'm also only kind of slowly zoning in on my purpose. But I found the zoning in part to be quite a good purpose itself.
Also I didn't drink that much anymore anyway last year. But whenever I would restart smoking it was because of being drunk. Add to that the those hungovers days (nothing knocks out new resolutions faster that nasty hangoever) and I had some powerful motivation going to stop both.
Hope this makes sense to you.
I do agree also with the shitty behaviour being an expression of unreleased creative energy. But even you know what you would want to do with that all creativity, it seems you still need an environement that helps to tap into that.
Which either means free oneself of potential distractions,( lots of writers would seek solitude for their muses to come) and or have very solid rules and habits in place (thus my challenge in the other thread)
Or is that rather meant to be like a mantra tto refame the urge to be indulge and turn it into productive stuff.
I dind't really get "the food is my work" quote, to be honest.