Whenever we feel a temptation, an urge or a craving, this feeling is originated from a thought that we we have about the action. It becomes a temptation because it’s tied in with guilt. We know it’s bad for us but we WANT IT SOOOOO BAD!
I have come across many temptations in my life and made many poor choices because I didn’t know how to overcome the temptations. I still give in to temptations once in awhile , but it’s a lot easier for me to choose now because I am aware of it. I also understand that if we give in to a temptation, it doesn’t have to make us feel bad.
Referring back to my previous blog post on overcoming resistance, our mind only knows what we learned from past experiences and teachings. We are pleasure-seeking beings. The sweet taste of the soft-drink is tied to a previous experience of instant gratification. Our mind remembers the good feeling of the dopamine rush of sugar and chemicals, but it also knows that the soft drink full of sugar and chemicals isn’t good for us! Our mind knows that that rush is short-lived and that it would not make us feel good in the long run. At this very moment of temptation, our mind doesn’t care about whether it’s good or not, it just wants us to make a choice! WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHOOSE!
WHAT CHOICES ARE AVAILABLE?
To give in to the temptation or we can fight the temptation. Either way, we end up feeling bad about it. But that’s not it! Our choice doesn’t have to feel bad. Temptation is very much like the screaming child in the grocery store that wants their candy. We can choose to acknowledge them and say “yes I hear you, I feel you, I will give you what you want… tomorrow.” They are still getting what they want, but on OUR TERMS! If we give in to the temptation, we are training it to think that it’s OK and that it’s going to get what it wants every single time! By choosing not to give into the temptation right away we have taught it to respect us!
Most of the time when I do this, I forget about it altogether the next day!
If you must and you choose to give in to the temptation right away, that’s ok, AS LONG AS YOU REMOVE THE GUILT FROM IT and you are aware of the choice you are making. If you’re going to have that bag of chips, feel gooooooood about it! We are made up of energy and the energy we give to what we put in to our bodies, whether it’s food, clothes, or feelings, we end up storing that energy in our bodies.
I invite you to give this a try the next time you feel tempted! With that said, I’m going to have some stone ground dark chocolate! But wait! Not till tomorrow!
*** YOU show up every day making an impact in someone else's life in some shape or form, even if you are not aware of it. Please share the love & share the video/post with anyone you think might benefit from this. Thank you for bringing LIGHT to possible darkness. #bethelight
REFERENCES
Castillo, Brooke. “Ep #197: Urges – The Life Coach School.” The Life Coach School, 4 Jan. 2018, thelifecoachschool.com/197/.