If you peruse the discord of our time, what you will find is an outcome oriented society, one that places critical importance on what its inhabitants put into the world. I want to use this post to delve into the opposite side of the spectrum: the things we take in.
We are exposed to an absolute fuckton over the course of our lives. (Yes, that is a metric unit) And these things quite literally make us who we are. Our food is broken down, rearranged, and reconstructed into the cells that compose our bodies. The conversations we have and the literature we read fill our heads with words we will later use. Beauty, toxicity, conflict... We are permeable membranes to all of it.
To some extent, we have the power to select what we expose ourselves to. Our circumstances- internal and external- are a direct result of these exposures. I'll share an example from my own life. As I contend with my eating disorder, I am vigilant about words I read and images I look at. If I spend time on fitness Instagram accounts, read articles about diet culture, or hear people spout the "no days off" mentality towards the gym- these things become the standards to which I compare myself. When an inevitable mismatch occurs, I become anxious and engage in disordered behaviors.
If I thought only about my state of being- the outcome- I would be confused about how to proceed. How can you help yourself without an understanding of how your circumstances came to be? Instead, I evaluate and modulate my intake; I put down my phone and read articles about holistic health. This helps change my mind's rhetoric. I hear words of forgiveness instead of criticism, and can then operate from this place.
I believe that this approach is widely applicable. In order to understand our "what's", we must address our "why's".
~ Why do I have low energy in the afternoons? I drink too much caffeine in the mornings, and then experience a slump
~ Why does my relationship with my partner feel strained? I place unrealistic expectations on him, and feel self- pity when they are not met
~ Why am I not in a fulfilling career? I do not spend time seeking out jobs that would ignite my passion
I also believe that this approach provides us with hope. It is pragmatic and logical: manipulate a variable and see what changes. Note these changes and proceed until what you want manifests as reality. It's a system that provides intrinsic feedback! So cool! (Picture an overly enthusiastic me yelling this)
We have the ability to select our inputs, to choose what gets engrained into our cells and souls. This is so empowering- proceed knowing that your life is your domain.
Select Your Inputs | Ecency
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