“There is an ancient Vedic story about a young man who went in search of the secret of abundance. For many months he traveled through the countryside until one day deep in the forest he met a spiritual master and asked him if he knew the key to having unlimited wealth and riches.
The spiritual master answered, “In the heart of every human being there are two goddesses: Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, is generous and beautiful. If you worship her, she may bestow you with treasures and riches, but she is capricious and may also withdraw her support without warning. The other goddess is Saraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom. If you venerate Saraswati and dedicate yourself to attaining wisdom, Lakshmi will become jealous and pay more attention to you. The more you seek wisdom, the more fervently Lakshmi will chase you, showering you with wealth and abundance.”
While many people spend their lives pursuing Lakshmi – money, fancy homes, luxury cars, and other symbols of wealth – true abundance isn’t about getting your ego’s wish list met in a timely manner; it’s knowing that who you really are is pure consciousness, pure potentiality. Your sense of self expands beyond your identification with the ego mind and physical body and you awaken to your essential spiritual nature. In this state of expanded awareness, you let go of limiting beliefs and fears, allowing the infinite field of intelligence to fulfill your needs and desires with effortless ease.” ~Deepak Chopra
So what does this ancient Vedic story have to do with you finding good nutrition and improving how you feel, perform, and move? While this post is not meant to be a spiritual awakening or anything along those lines, the example given above provides a great example. If one is only seeking 6-pack abs for summer or only looking for the quickest, easiest, short-term way to drop 10lbs then these goals become fleeting. They may be achieved but only for a short time. While not bad, these goals are external and superficial. They are only focused on the now and instant gratification and usually do not last.
There is a better way.
In the above story it is found by seeking wisdom. To achieve improved health we need to seek out wisdom of nutrition. The more wisdom on how you eat, what you are eating, and why you eat the more abundant health you will achieve. Why are we spending billions of dollars each year on quick-fix pills and surgeries yet the health of the average person has not improved? Working to find these quick-fixes ignores the fundamental truth and beauty of the human body. We ignore what our bodies are telling us and mask the signals with pain-relieving medications. When your stomach is upset there is a good reason for that. Instead of drinking something out of a pink bottle next time, stop and think about what you put into your own body to feel that way, then see if a cup of ginger tea helps just as well. Focus on understanding what your body truly needs to perform and function optimally. Hint, it probably won’t be a new fad pill or surgery. Instead, it will be foods that are actually found in nature and would have been recognized by your great grandparents. Foods like organic apples, blueberries, spinach, water, grass-fed meat, and eggs.
So where do you go from here?
The main point of this post is to help you realize that seeking wisdom of nutrition is key. You are ultimately responsible for your body. You know your body better than anyone else. Learn as much as you can about what goes into your body and what helps improve it. Understand that “wisdom” is not the end destination. It is part of the process and journey towards your optimal health. Will you feel better when you drink more water today and eat a salad instead of fast-food? Only you will be able to answer that question.
~With Strength & Nutrition
