“It takes a couple of years to master the discipline of eating properly.”
—Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle Dockers AFL Footballer).
We all find the going tough in the truth of life—no wonder there’s so much substance abuse and so many addiction-based problems in the world. Life is just plain hard and so very unpalatable, whether it’s boredom or pain and all levels of discomfort between.
The Sandilands quote is a very good one that points us to a broader aspect of truth—we can easily apply it to a great many practical things we struggle with.
I’ve mentioned several times that the last frontier for me—my penultimate struggle—is managing my food intake. Well, I think I might have finally mastered it, provided I maintain my self-discipline. And this is the key most of the time. We know what we know and that’s fine, but how often do we skimp or overtly disobey our very selves?
Taking food—a thing that nearly all people in the Western world lack self-control over given the obesity epidemic—for example, getting to a point of being not only able, but willing, to forego many tasty treats is the key to most of our battle. Sandilands is probably referring to the athletic context, but therein lays our key; professional footballers are almost constantly managing and monitoring their weight.
The point is, if we don’t give up, and we’re prepared to struggle for years (it’s not like the option not to struggle is even that viable), we’ll master that nemesis—the harrowing reality; that thing that bores us, or pains us, or brings us vast, aching discomfort.
All harrowing realities are really there for is for us to learn how to overcome them and to experience the exhilaration of victory over ourselves and the world we’re inherently part of.
© 2009 S. J. Wickham.
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