What does eating a simple breakfast—two fried eggs, one tortilla, a spoonful of salsa and a tiny slice of avocado—have to do with learning life’s lessons? A lot.
When I have breakfast, I usually take a piece of the tortilla, scoop up some of the fried egg, put it in the tortilla, dip it in the salsa, add a small bite of avocado and bring it all into my mouth.
It feels yummy and I look forward to eating it. Besides the pleasure I get from the tasty and healthy meal, and the support the food brings to my body, there are three key life lessons I’ve started to learn from doing this slowly and mindfully.
I. Be mindfully aware of the desire for more
Instead of taking all the meal items in one bite—eggs, tortilla, salsa and avocado—like I used to, often, I start by taking a small bite of just the egg. I look at the plate laden with salsa, tortilla and avocado, but I choose to hold off on them all.
What feelings do I have in my mind when I do that? A desire to have them all. I want all four parts of the meal all at once.
Alright… I take a small bite of the tortilla and have it with the egg. That feels good, but my mind is still craving salsa and avocado. When I add salsa, the mind is still craving the avocado. It wants them all, right away. It doesn’t want to delay happiness.
This reminds me that there’s a universal human desire for happiness (in this case, that comes from eating as many items as possible) and often, there’s no limit to how much goodness the mind will take in. It’s a basic homo sapiens habit.
How does being aware of this desire help me? It makes me want to ask myself an important question: Do I really want or need all the things I’m desiring? A lot of life gets spent working towards achieving things and goals. Quite often, they are worth the mental and physical effort that’s put in, but are there situations when the effort and time spent is greater than the benefits reaped?
Doing this mindful in-this-moment introspection gives me better insight into what I truly want, and helps me route my life’s resources in the direction I need, want and deserve.
II. Indulge mindfully in what you have
When I get all four items—tortilla, salsa, eggs and avocado—where is my mind at? Is it immersing itself in the taste, the texture, the smell and the overall experience of eating, or is it mostly wandering around in other circles?
Quite often, it’s the latter.
So if I’m spending most of my time craving things, and when I get them, my mind starts filling up with other thoughts (some of which can include other cravings), then what’s the point of all those intense desires?
Those desires were supposed to make me happy in the moment, but if I’m spending those moments wanting other things, when will this fruitless circle stop?
If I keep going like this, the next thing I know, the breakfast plate will be empty and I’ll have lost the chance to enjoy what I was pining for a few minutes ago. And so it goes with Life, too.
The takeaway?
It’s necessary and helpful to have cravings—they often bring us happiness—but it’s also equally important to consciously and mindfully devote our minds and bodies to enjoying what those cravings have brought us, in the moment.
III. Always approach things with gratitude
As I ate, I also noticed that as I kept adding more foods to my bites—starting with just the eggs, then the tortilla, then salsa and finally avocado—although I initially loved the new food, I quickly forgot about its goodness.
The first bite of salsa felt so yummy, colourful and fresh that it brought a whole new sense of joy to my mouth. Yet, a couple of spoonfuls of salsa later, I started taking it for granted: Mild, chunky salsa? So what? It’s normal… what’s the big deal?
Hedonic adaptation is the scientific term for this behaviour: A new thing has its charm and attractiveness, but as we get used to it over time, we begin taking it for granted. Little by little, we start losing sight of the value-add it initially brought to our life.
How can I turn that behaviour around for the better, and instead, have the things I experience nourish my life? Well, I can start by approaching each new gift with gratitude, joy and curiosity. This doesn’t mean I have to feel grateful and joyous every time a bite of salsa comes into my mouth (it would be awesome if I could do that, though). Rather, when I take that first bite of salsa, I can make a simple affirmation like “Wow, this salsa is so tasty! I love its mild and healthy flavour.”
Doing so brings joy and satisfaction to my life: I wanted something, I got it and I’m acknowledging the goodness it brought me in the moment.
As I’ve continued to do this on a regular basis, my mind has started to develop an ingrained attitude of appreciating what I used to take for granted. Why? Because the affirmations have gently and gradually reinforced the goodness that already exists in my life.
Bowing to the gratefulness in my life
Next time I take another bite of the avocado, I can silently remind myself, “I was craving this avocado. I’m compassionately aware of my subconscious desire to have that bite. This awareness brings to light other desires I have going on in my mind, and gives me an opportunity to ask myself if I really want those desires.”
It also reminds me that I ought to enjoy that avocado. I worked hard for it, I craved it, I got it. The least I can do is be mindfully aware of what it’s bringing to my mind and body: the taste, the feeling of goodness I get after eating it, how its smell brings a smile to my face. This is life and I’m indulging in this precious moment.
I’m also grateful for so many aspects that are involved in the act of me having this breakfast: the couch I’m sitting on, the food I’m able to buy, the thousands of parts of my mind and body that are involved in the amazing act of eating and digesting the food, the cozy home I’m in, the time I have to enjoy this breakfast.
The list goes on. I bow to the gratefulness in my life.
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image: Kyraxys
