Seeking Balance
When I make a decision, I make it 100%. When I go after something, I go whole-heartedly. When I am emotional, I am passionately emotional. I struggle with doing anything less than all-in. Most times, I tip my scale so far in one direction I create my own imbalance. Ultimately leading me to invaluable compromise.
The first book I read for Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) was The World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle, PhD. The premise - a vegan perspective on how food choices affect our social, psychological, and spiritual being. I began reading it simply as a requirement. Then, chapter by chapter, parts resonated in my heart and mind.
By the time I finished the book, I had no desire to eat a piece of meat. I felt an urge to make a change and test the theories of the book. I decided to be 100% pescetarian (maintaining fish and other seafood) with hope I could move towards a vegetarian diet in the future.
That was about 9 months ago. By now, I was expecting to notice a valuable difference. A boost in energy, a decrease in stress, a stronger connection to the world around me. However, I feel unchanged based on my diet. Yet, I notice an invaluable compromise.
In two things I love most…my imbalance compromised my happiness.
"Happiness is a place between too little and too much."
-Finnish Proverb
I love to cook. I love to eat. I love to experiment with new recipes. Since altering my diet, I have sucked some creativity out of those things. While Brad is open to trying vegetarian meals, he will never be a vegetarian – and I would never ask him to. I have forced myself to only prepare meals adaptable to ½ vegetarian, ½ meat. The excitement in my kitchen creations is often lost because I am limited by ingredients and recipes. Happiness compromised in the kitchen.
Brad and I are foodies. We love to try to new things. We love to travel to new places. I have had a lot of foodie firsts with Brad, to name a few – raw sushi, various caviar, taro, lychee, duck, rabbit and bison. Since altering my diet, our foodie adventures are not as much fun. We are limited on restaurant choices and dishes we can share together, diminishing the point of the whole experience. Happiness compromised in our hobbies.
I am not running to grab a burger today. I am seeking balance by trying to go less all-in. Maybe happiness is vegetarian for breakfast; pescetarian for lunch; meat for dinner – and cupcakes with every meal! At the core of my being, I do not believe it makes a valuable difference.
Is your scale tipping? If you are seeking balance add happiness back to one side.
