We are what we eat – and see and hear and feel and think. It seems so obvious; and yet many of us don’t stop long enough to reflect on how the information we have been collecting, consciously and unconsciously, since before we were even born influences us.
Have you ever smelled something cooking and then Mom comes to mind? Or seen a shopkeeper scowl, feel uncomfortable and then realize she reminds you of your elementary school teacher? We live in a multiverse of past and present and “yet to come” that helps us navigate our world. But these many layers of our history are often unknown to us, an intricate fabric of the seen and unseen, homogenous and contrasting, pointing us “right” when we wanted to go in another direction. When I look at the 1950s Oldsmobile sedan above, I feel all the warmth and attachment of my childhood; yet it also stirs the memory of the pain and hysteria of the time that Oldsmobile car door accidentially closed a my little 4 year-old hand. Ouch!
We are what we eat – and see and hear and feel and think! We navigate our lives using these maps and they influence our ability to listen and communicate, often without us knowing.
If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only start from knowing where we are standing (or sitting) now. Literally. Through discernment, we can observe and explore our lives without other added filters, training ourselves to be free. Be the best versions of ourselves. Use your mind.
#johnangelorimindfulness
