If you know me, you know I love to eat.
Some of my favorites include (but are not limited to):
Potato Salad (I could eat it almost everyday)
French Fries (Except for the crunchy ones.. yuck)
Moro de Habichuela Negra (Rice with Black Beans)
Johnny Fried Chicken (The best chicken in the world. In the world.)
Tacos
Tostones
Can you tell I’m hungry as I write this?
As you know, our bodies need food to produce energy. No food, No energy. One of the leading causes of low energy is poor diet. Lacking good nutrition makes it hard for our bodies to be on the go. If you’re like me, you compensate the poor eating habits with coffee.
Un cafesito, negro con un chin de azucar, como yo.
(Coffee, black with a little sugar, like me.)
Balance is key.
A good, balanced, nutritious diet, along with sleep, will take our bodies further than a quick fix of caffeine ever will. The same goes for our souls! Before you read on, please know that I’m not claiming to be the next Plato, or Heraclitus or Socrates. I am 29 years old and this just hit me, like really hit me, recently. I asked myself this question.
What am I feeding my soul?
There are days when I find myself emotionally running on empty, on reserve. Days where I am reminiscing on the “good times” in my life. Days where I don’t feel loved. Days where motherhood has drained me. Fridays where I look back at my week and don’t feel anything. No excitement. Nothing truly accomplished. Days where I’m bored with the routine. Days where I am pouring into everyone around me but no one is pouring into me. I have no energy to even process my emotions. My soul feels hungry.
I realize now that there are times where I would give my soul caffeine. I would pick up my phone. I would get on social media and scroll my life away looking at false or misleading narratives of other people lives. Maybe post something that makes me look better than how I feel. Or reminisce. Look through old photos or conversations where everything was good and my soul would begin to crave something that was no longer available. Maybe sulk. Or with a significant other, highlight a flaw or pick a fight about something that is the “reason” for my not feeling great. Or ignore my feelings instead of dealing with them. Hoping the hunger goes away. Or maybe wait for someone or something to come along and sate my hunger, whether its healthy or not.
If you cannot relate, then we need to be best friends so you can tell me how you are able to be in a constant state of bliss.
I know this is normal, just as having days where I am physically tired is also normal.
However, being constantly tired, physically or emotionally, is a sign that something needs to change.
Classic example: I want to lose weight. If I want to lose weight, I shouldn’t go to Johnny Fried Chicken, even though it is the best fried chicken in the world. In the world. I shouldn’t go to the bakery, even if it is just to look and smell at the sweets. I shouldn’t buy unhealthy snacks “just in case.” I shouldn’t eat french fries everyday, even if they are all I think about. I should go to the gym. I should buy more greens than carbs. I should drink more water than soda. Even small things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator will make a difference, however small. It doesn’t always feel good in the moment, but it is contributing positively to my end goal, which is for my butt and belly not be the same size. The same goes for my soul.
what am I consistently feeding my soul?
I used to be on social media everyday. A couple months ago, I deleted Instagram and Facebook from my phone. I realized I was consistently feeding my soul something artificial. Now my social media use is very limited. I’ve cut toxic relationships, which is very hard, but doable if you work at it a little everyday. I’ve deleted old photos. I have decided to sate my soul’s hunger with healthier things. I am sitting at the piano every night to practice. Mia and I are reading more. (A good book is food for the soul) I am drawing nearer to God through His Word and prayer. I am reconnecting with old friends. I am running and biking more. I am trying to create healthy habits like going to bed earlier so I wake up earlier and have enough time for a devotional before starting my day. I am being careful with the conversations I have and who I converse with. With the music I listen to. With what I read. I am visiting my favorite jazz bar more often to order my favorite french fries and listen to the loveliest live music. I am trying to nourish my soul with good, healthy things so that
I am not putting myself in the environments that make me sick (are not healthy for me)
I am not tempting myself to do that which I know will make me feel bad later on
When rocky days come, where my emotions overwhelm me, I am still able to stay true to the decision I made yesterday, whatever that was.
Consistency is key. Intention is key.
We had a Sunday School class at my church where we talked about how important being intentional is.
Living intentionally changes our lives. I’m trying everyday to be more intentional about what my soul feeds on. Being careful with what I let in. Not letting my thoughts linger, not listening to everything, not letting my fingers scroll just anywhere, staying the right amount of busy (an idle mind is the devil’s playground), reading good books, engaging in good, edifying conversation, and most importantly for me, being intentional in getting closer to God.
“Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23
xoxo Cindy
(The photo above was taken at my sister’s house this Summer. She always makes the most amazing breakfast spreads for me.)