Who's in Charge

There are many ways to characterize how we think, make decisions, get through the day, choose what to say or where to go.  When it comes to food choices, I think there is an animal, recalcitrant teenager and a governor in all of us.  The animal is the most base, least contemplative, opportunistic and reactive.  The animal will eat anything and sleep anywhere.  The teenager in us is lazy.  It doesn't want to exercise or get up early or plan ahead.  The teenager can get by, but it is not all that pretty.  The governor in us is the most evolved.  It is the part of us that can control the least helpful behaviors that the animal and teenager engage in.  The governor is the adult in the room who is in charge.

Our thoughts are very powerful.  More importantly, we can actually control them.  This speaks to the power of the human mind to shift thinking and make smarter decisions.  When we don't slow down long enough to reflect or notice or even acknowledge the "voice of reason" that the governor speaks with, we might end up behaving like a teenager who doesn't "feel like" showing up or even worse--the animal that just pounces on whatever shows up, e.g. free samples at the grocery store.

Adult life is made up of so many choices.  There are 200 choices to make per day just about food.  There are countless choices in other areas too.  What time to get up?  What to do first at work?  Should I make the bed?  Laundry now or later?  Who's driving whom to school.... etc. etc.  Most of us want things to go well.  We want less stress, more smooth sailing.  As adults, we are the ones who create that ease.  Life can get complicated, but the adult can cope and adjust.

This week, ask yourself if you are content with your choices--with food, mindset and fitness, or whether you need to listen to the governor and show up for yourself so that you can have more good living, more good health, more vitality, more confidence and more control.