Is It Desire or Distraction?

Don't forget to enjoy the beauty right in front of you. When it comes to the things we want, there always seems to be an endless list.

No matter how many times we get something off that list, we add new things to replace it. In life, this drama of wanting and getting and wanting is all part of the dance. The things we want motivate us to get up and get them. 

And yet, at the same time, we can torment ourselves with our wanting, especially when we want something we can’t have or can’t find. It is in cases like these that it might be fruitful to entertain the idea that maybe what you really want is right in front of you.

Maybe you are using this desire you can’t fulfill to distract you from truly engaging the blessings you already have. It may seem like that doesn’t make sense, yet we do it all the time. It may be easier to see in other people than to see it in ourselves.

We have all heard our friends wishing they were more this or less that, and looking at them we see clearly that they are everything they are wishing they were. We know people who have wonderful partners and yet envy yours. We wish we could give these people a look at their situations from our perspective so that they could see that what they want really is right in front of them. 

It’s not too far-fetched to consider that we might be victims of the same folly. It can be scary to have what we want. We get caught up in the chase and forget to enjoy the beauty right in front of us -- like a child who never wants the toy she has in her hand but always the one just out of her reach.

Take a moment today to consider the many things you are holding in the palm of your hand and how you might best play with them. 

Silence

Silence can make us nervous thinking we need to fill the void, but there is immense strength in silence.

All sounds, from a whisper to a classical symphony, arise out of silence and disappear into silence. But silence is always there beneath sound and is the space where sound can exist.

We tend to think of silence as the absence of sound, but silence has its own weight and quality. When you listen to silence, you can perceive its intense depth and power.

Taking the time to experience silence calms the mind and rejuvenates the body. Silence is the void where we can hear the many sounds that we often ignore — the voice of our intuition telling us the truth, the sound of the breeze blowing, the hum of the radiator, and the noises we make just because we are alive.

The Why .....

The human body uses proteins, fats, and carbohydrates as sources of fuel for exercise and muscle contraction. During moderate-intensity exercise, roughly half of the energy is derived from glycogen, while the other half comes from glucose in the blood and fatty acids.

Carbohydrates (glucose/glycogen) serve as the primary source of fuel as duration and intensity increase. The human body uses proteins, fats, and carbohydrates as sources of fuel for exercise and muscle contraction. During moderate-intensity exercise, roughly half of the energy is derived from glycogen, while the other half comes from glucose in the blood and fatty acids. Carbohydrates (glucose/glycogen) serve as the primary source of fuel as duration and intensity increase. If exercise continues for a significant period of time, fatty acids will serve as the fuel source when glycogen stores are nearly depleted.

A person’s diet will influence which source of fuel is used and therefore, performance level. If a person consumes a high-carbohydrate diet, more glycogens will be used for fuel. If the diet is high in fat, fat will be used as the fuel source. A high-fat diet is not recommended as even the leanest person has plenty of stored fat for long endurance exercise. A high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet can lead to poor performance due to low glycogen stores.