Of Greeks Bearing Gifts
Why don't we do what is good for us?
Photo by micheile dot com on Unsplash
Doing What is Good For us
Greek yogurt is delicious. Eating it has almost ruined regular yogurt for me.
Plain in my favorite, not even with a garnish like in the picture above. What’s with the onion and lemon anyway?
I digress.
Eating live culture yogurt provides various health benefits, including being good for gut health, improved digestion, boosting the immune system, and reducing the risk of certain diseases.
Whenever I eat it, I feel better all around.
Daily Habit
I enjoy the flavor, it’s good for me, and I feel noticeably better on days when I have some yogurt, so naturally, I eat it every day.
You’d think I would, except I don’t. There is no downside to it at all.
Yet I don’t do it.
Being Human
Ancient wisdom tells us this is often the human condition. The Apostle Paul, regarded by many as the greatest practitioner of his faith, said this about himself.
“I don't understand what I am doing. For I don't practice what I want to do, but instead do what I hate.”1
Here is one of the most disciplined and focused individuals in human history, and he often did what he hated instead of the good things he knew he should do.
Today
Today I had yogurt, and I’m going to make every effort to have some tomorrow.
With Ikigai, we have a vision for the kind of life we want. We aspire to live from and into that place.
🌀 Sometimes, we will transcend; other times, we don’t eat our yogurt.
Regardless we keep going and do the best we can today.
Great insights David...tidbits I took from it may be that we as humans may not want to get bored of the same thing everyday even if it is great for us. My 83 year old Italian aunt has had eggs everyday (mostly) since she was a child in WWII maybe because they has little to eat and eggs represented life...not sure. Yes eggs have protein and are fine for most. I like you when you mentioned St. Paul the Apostle...such an interesting life one should explore more and his testimony and definition of LOVE is read at many weddings...I read it at one of my daughters ;) Last note on this....yes St. Paul said> I know it is long but important: Romans 7:15-20. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature SO> This accounts for the challenges humans have with their nature and inclination to do the wrong things. THIS is the CORE of the issue, not that something is boring or mundane but the difficult nature or impetus towards the bad. Yes be it Ikigai or another direction of living ones greater life (IHS) it is more of progression towards perfection we are after and yes hit the mark like Greek Yogurt and rejoice!
"Sometimes I transcend.
Other times, I don’t eat my yogurt."
- I want that on my t-shirt.
Fantastic angle on this, David. We know what we need, and often even how to do it. So why don't we? This is a fundamental problem that affects individuals and large corporations alike. And in either case, it begins and ends inside our own brain.