Every day we make choices about what to say, what to do, how to handle the morning meltdown with our four year old, which route to take to the grocery store, what to buy there, and what to put in our bodies. April Dawn Reigart shares her thoughts on this seemingly simple concept of choice.
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I forgot to say “Good Morning” to my husband this morning.
It’s something I like to do. I say “Good Morning” to both my husband and my son. I suppose I was already busying myself with getting my son ready for school…but, I like to give a decided greeting to everyone as we wake and embark upon a new day. It’s an intentional and abbreviated way to convey the message of- “I see you, I acknowledge you, I am happy you are here.” It’s a note of positivity to start the day.
These are the little choices we thread in to every day that are so easily taken for granted, overlooked, dismissed as not important, seemingly cliché- but it is what weaves the entire fabric of our lives. It is what manifests the things in our lives.
Take a deep breath. Look around you- wherever you are. Every inch of every thing that you see before you is part of the fabric that you wove together with every choice you’ve ever made before and up to this moment in time. There may be some holes in your fabric- perhaps the fabric was torn by choices others have made. However, any person in your life that you have allowed to tear holes was also part of a choice you made. Same goes for any areas beautifully embroidered by another.
It is all yours.
Will you wear it? Store it away with moth balls? Air it out? Deconstruct it and refabricate it? Patch it up? Give it away and start a new one…?
If this is too metaphorical for you, we can apply this concept literally to our physical bodies.
Your body is much like a fabric- it is largely a result of choices you make from day to day. Most of us were given the standard issue body at birth, and then our parents chose to nurture its growth, and then we became responsible for it. Much like the world around you (your reality) has much to do with your choices, the world that houses your being- your body- also has much to do with your choices. The circumstances of life around all of us has to do with the choices we make, or allow, in our society.
Many people don’t like this concept, or they diminish its reality, however, if you choose healthful foods daily, and exercise daily- you have a much different result than if the opposite choices are made. It may seem harsh, or viewed as “blaming the victim”, but the simple truth is that most cases of obesity and other modern diseases (like heart disease and Type II diabetes) are simply a summation of choices that were made every day.
The point is- life isn’t really just happening to us. We are the key players in our own lives, and regardless of all the reasoning and psychology behind our choices, mathematically speaking- we are the sum total of many choices made. Physically, spiritually and emotionally.
The question is: What do you want, and what are the best choices to that end?
This is not to confuse choice with control. So many things are beyond our control, but we have choice over how we receive and act upon our own lives. We have to be able to trust that we’ve made the best choices we could make, and then let go.
So, what’s it going to be today? Will you drive through some fast food restaurant- which is really a choice to support factory farming and poor food quality, or stop at a farmer’s market- which supports local farming and a healthier environment for all? Will you take a walk- which is a choice to help your blood circulate well, aiding in detoxification of your body? Will you reach out to someone you care about- which is a choice to not only be kind and compassionate, but is good will that will come back to you? What sort of mitzvah can you accomplish today – for your body, your self or for another?
April Reigart is an Institute for Integrative Nutrition Certified Holistic Health Coach, and also certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She holds a Master’s Degree from Tyler School of Art, and lives in Philadelphia with her husband and young son. She is available for one-on-one coaching and health strategizing, and offers free initial health consultations. Find her through her website, www.aprildawnreigart.com, on Facebook or follow her on Instagram.