Ironically, I started this post about two weeks ago, and I didn't finish it. I didn't prioritize it over other things. Looking back at the draft, it was sounding kind of negative, so I'm glad I didn't publish it for you to read. It's amazing how when you don't have your balance right, it can spill into other things.
But onto the meat of the matter.
If I had to pick a specific title for my spirituality, I have to say that I'm Buddhist. However, I'm not a very good one. I don't practice as often as I should (practicing in general isn't a trait I've been able to pick up yet), and I know that I have so much more to learn before I feel like I honestly could say I am a Buddhist. Nonetheless, the teachings of the Buddha are good for everyone, no matter your faith, and I feel that they help in particularly difficult times.
Chances are, you are in difficult times. Weight gain does not come out of nothing. You have a larger problem you need to deal with beside the difficulty of getting the balance of calories in vs. calories out. I'm not saying that you were necessarily traumatized as a child or that you even necessarily have poor self esteem. The reason we gain weight can be as simple as not following the right path.
The Right Path is one of the founding tenants of Buddhism; in English, it is often called the Noble Eightfold Path. In simplest terms, it is a checklist for balance. Balance is what we all need. With balance, things fall into place. For health, it means you will eat correctly and get the fitness you need.
We all live busy lives. We all crave for more time, more inspiration, more motivation. This craving, however, brings suffering. Whether it is emotional or in the form of fat, craving brings suffering.
Yet, while we do not want to suffer, it is hard to shake cravings. As fat people, we know that it is hard to listen to your head when your body craves. This is why the Buddha teaches how to create balance.
And balance starts with correct priorities.
We all have different things to juggle, and these are my balls, in no particular order (yet):
- work
- sleep
- driving to/from work
- eating
- eating well
- cooking
- working out at the gym
- working out at home
- watching tv
- hanging out with friends
- cleaning my house
- washing dishes
- washing laundry
- folding laundry
- showering
- maintaining my house/yardwork
- grocery shopping
- other shopping
When I started this post a couple of weeks ago, I was a wreck. I was working 45-50 hours a week, plus I don't know if you noticed, but I also included "driving to/from work" as a ball I have to juggle. For some it's not much of a ball, but for me, it equaled about 3 hours of my life every day. It was taking away things that my heart said I should be prioritizing over money.
So, I took the plunge and quit my job last week. I have to say that since last Tuesday, I haven't felt better. I decided to give the Right Effort. I am now prioritizing life over money.
But that is my choice. I am not encouraging any of you to go quit your job. It is a serious matter that takes much consideration. I couldn't do it without having a partner with a job because unlike Buddhist nuns and monks, I could not live without material things. I could not ask my neighbors for food.
Yet, I must be honest: it feels great to have the golden handcuffs off. Now I feel like I can truly prioritize my health and the health of those around me before money and all the stress that comes with making money.
But what about you? You probably have a job with its stressful demands. You may have people depending on you to provide shelter, clothing, and food for them. So you have to make money. However, I want to ask you: are you working harder than you should be? American society is driven by always bettering your career so that you can make more money to buy more stuff. But what if you're already making enough money? I'm going to say something that bosses would hate to hear: you should only do enough to keep your job, not any more.
It is my personal belief that you should not need to check work email at home. Home time is for yourself and your family. Not work. You should not need to think about that report your boss wants done. You should not need to think about how that presentation went yesterday. Putting yourself in the Right View will help you see what is important so that you can start to balance.
This post is already too long, so I'm going to end it here. I know there are thoughts dangling all over the place, but sometimes there's beauty in stray grey hairs.
Katie
P.S. One grey hair I want to pluck, though: I want to make it clear that I will one day return to work. Later this year, I'm going to re-enroll in school so that I can get more training for a career, but in the meantime, I'm prioritizing health over money. I will one day have to figure out how to balance health with work again, but I have confidence that it will seem like less of a mountain when I am maintaining health, not making it.
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