Ellemental: Feasting on The Personal Plate
Italians eat well to live well. Or as we say: mangia bene vivere bene.
One day as I was editing and revising the second recovery guidebook that I aim to publish, the idea of filling and getting sustenance from what I call The Personal Plate hit me in an instant.
In my life I’ve found that choosing from the four “Food Groups” each day helps me live well and whole in recovery. Every day would ideally contain a “serving” of these foods on each of our plates.
The Food Groups are the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual, balanced on each day’s Personal Plate to choose from. The mental is the helping of thoughts that you serve yourself so that you can attend to the tasks for that given day. The emotional part of the plate is checking in with yourself through the day to get in touch with how you’re feeling.
The physical portion is comprised of the food and fitness you get in while going about the hours from morning to evening. The spiritual is taking time for gratitude and reflection on what’s sacred for you; I say engage in a spiritual micro-habit every day.
The four food groups would optimally work in harmony with each other. On the days when it’s hard to achieve balance, it’s okay for one portion to get attention over the other.
The Personal Plate Principles
Give Yourself a Lifeline
Decades ago I coined the term of giving yourself a lifeline, not a restrictive, impossible deadline in which to achieve a goal, as we have our whole lives ahead of us.
Try on Different Approaches
Have multiple options to choose from. A friend called this “stacking the plates.” Pick from the alternatives and assess what works and what doesn’t. The key is to figure out the best approach when the system is normal and all fouled up.
Be Flexible and Adaptable
Your needs will change as you go along in life. What works today might not be effective tomorrow. Keep an open mind. Resenting that you’re “forced to” change will keep you stuck. Try to think in terms of having free choice. You get to Choose Your Own Health Adventure.
Take the Long View
A slip-up here and there over two weeks, two months, or two years is not what will end your progress. Feeling like a failure and giving up will impede you. Getting back on track is what counts. So, think in terms of the long-term.
Appreciate the Life Lesson
See if my experience can motivate you to see things differently.
Before I had a freak arm accident and was resigned to PT sessions, I had taken my fitness level for granted. Then a curious thing happened when I returned to lifting weights in my home gym.
See things differently I did, in that I thought an exercise routine could be a spiritual practice, not just an exhibit of physical prowess.
To that end I started wearing a Celtic cross necklace when I exercised. Before I lifted the first dumbbell, I recited a prayer: “Bless my body. Give me the health to achieve my goals.”
Plating our lives with delicious and healthy meals this way can make all the difference in how we feel and think about ourselves. This kind of cooking really is soul care. Enjoy!
