"Nothing External To You Has Any Power Over You" -Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is why I love Emerson. Like many of my favorite writers, he has the ability to catch exactly what I'm thinking, shove it into one small sentence, and I am thinking about it for the next three days. This particular quote I found in an attempt to find a "meaningful thought of the day". I think I have found it.
I love the idea that there is nothing outside of myself that has any power over me. The only things that have power over me are my body's needs (which are obvious: food, water, shelter, activity) and my mind. Herein lies the problem. Our minds like to screw with us and make us think that we either want or need something that is blatantly bad for us. Excessive drinking, attachments to people that are harmful to us, "addictive food", cigarettes. We blame the object for how we treat it. We blame the addictiveness of cigarettes for our poor chain-smoking habit. It's the alcohol that is killing me. The food is so delicious that I can't help myself. We treat our bodies like crap and then don't expect there to be consequences? There are always consequences.
The same goes for our emotions and feelings. We think that other people make us sad or it is a break up that causes depression. It is only us. Now, this is coming from a person who has severe hereditary depression. I know that illnesses like severe depression cannot be beaten my mental willpower any better than the flu can be willed away. The mind needs taking care of just as much as the body and if you leave it out to dry for too long without getting help, you are doing the exact same thing do your mind as refusing to go to the doctor when you are sick.
Thinking about all this and what exactly does have an effect on me... my list was limited a great deal. I have extra pounds because I DON'T EAT RIGHT, not because the food is too delicious. I am depressed because I DON'T TAKE MY DRUGS. The dishes are dirty because I AM A SLOVENLY PIG!! These are all things that I have the power to control. While I might not be able to change the stars, I can certainly change how I see them.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI work for the company that produces Mutual of Omaha’s “Aha Moment” campaign; visit www.mutualofomaha.com/aha to see what an aha moment is and the incredible stories we’ve filmed over the last two years. As I came across your website, I couldn’t help but think that you might have an aha moment to share.
We’re taking our 34-foot Airstream mobile film studio to 25 cities to capture inspirational, life-changing aha moments from folks all over the country. We are headed to Davenport, IA on August 4th and 5th, and would love to invite you to share an aha moment! You would just have to step into the Airstream studio for a few minutes and tell your story on film to our tour manager. Your video will then be posted to www.mutualofomaha.com/aha, where you will be able to share it with your friends and family via email, Facebook and Twitter!
For the second year in a row, our tour manager is Jessica Henry. Hailing from Athens, GA, Jessica is an outdoor enthusiast and self-proclaimed "foodie" who enjoys talking about powerful life moments with people just like you all over the country. You can read Jessica’s bio (and meet the rest of the crew) at www.ahamoment.com/tour/about
We will be parked at Putnam Museum at 1717 West 12th Street, on August 4th and 5th from 11am to 7pm.
Let me know as soon as possible and I can reserve some time for you.
Many thanks!
Olivia Lasky
olivia@skadaddlemedia.com
View aha moment videos: www.mutualofomaha.com/aha
Read the tour blog: tour.ahamoment.com
Follow the tour on Twitter: @myahamoment
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/myahamoment
Check into your tour stop on foursquare: www.foursquare.com/myahamoment