The 3 Golden Questions
(Download poster below)
Does it feel Luxurious?
Is it surrounded by positive energy?
Does it support you enjoying your life to the fullest?
How do I know if something feels luxurious?
Think back to a time in your life when you felt like all of your senses felt alive, you were in a beautiful surrounding, you were comfortable, you were touching something that felt great, you were eating something that tasted delicious and you were smelling something that made you feel wonderful. It’s almost as if a golden honey is pouring over your brain. It isn’t always possible to have all the senses feeling luxurious at the same time but if not even one of your senses is luxuriating then you are most likely not feeling luxurious. Ideally multiple senses are firing off your pleasure synapsis.
Example: A burger from the late night drive through at McDonalds that I eat while I drive does not feel luxurious, sure the flavour is there (while it’s hot) but it is far from the best burger I have ever eaten and I can’t really enjoy it because I am distracted by driving and trying not to get ketchup on my shirt or steering wheel. However a hormone free uncle Burger with grilled onions and Balderson cheddar from A&W that I order and sit in a 1950’s style diner booth with my tasty root beer and fresh cut fries can feel very luxurious because I am loving the flavours and the environment and the smells of the grill as well as the sounds of people laughing and enjoying themselves. I sit there and enjoy every bite and sip with no distractions until my body tells me that I am full. Part of the luxury is that I don’t need to finish my meal if I am getting full because I have the luxury of knowing that I can eat again later when I get hungry and I don’t have to take the leftovers with me because I’m not a fan of cold fries and burgers and it won't feel luxurious so what's the point.
What do you mean by surrounded by positive energy?
Positive energy feels amazing, it gives instead of takes, it nurtures instead of destroys and it honours instead of taking for granted. Some feelings that come from positive energy are love, joy, delight, peace, gratitude whereas some of the feelings created by negative energy are guilt, shame, anger, greed, apathy, sadness and shame. Sometimes while we do something we feel some of the positive energy feelings but as soon as we finish we plummet into negative energy. Something that is truly surrounded by positive energy maintains its positive charge long after it is finished. The positive energy also spreads to the energy in which things are made and created.
Example: The McDonalds burger in the car situation feels easy and comfortable to get and the first few bites feel positive but then due to being distracted while driving and eating I didn't listen to my body and ate beyond full so I feel lethargic and bloated, my fingers are greasy and I have a ketchup stain on my shirt so I feel gross, I have some digestion issues once I get home and then in the morning I feel like I was hit by a mack truck full of salt due to the less than ideal ingredients. The worst part of the energy is me feeling bad about myself for letting my body down and doing such a terrible thing to myself, Oh the guilt! However the A&W burger was a higher quality meat and I only ate until full so there were no after effects. I sat and ate with no distractions so I wasn’t bloated from overeating. I had napkins at my disposal and a table to eat at so I didn't drip ketchup on my shirt and I could wipe my hands when they started to feel greasy and then wash them in the bathroom after I was done. I experienced no digestion issues and I ate my meal early enough that I could drink water the rest of the night to combat the salt hangover. I also really enjoyed the whole luxurious experience so I had no guilt or bad feelings of letting myself down, in fact I was so proud of myself for listening to my body and stopping when I was full. Also because I gave myself the full burger experience I didn't crave a burger for a while because I was so satisfied as opposed to my late night McD experience which I was ready to all over again the next night. Best of all I know that A&W is committed to hormone hormone free meats and supporting local farms so the energy is better than a typical fast food restaurant.
How do I know if it supports me enjoying my life to the fullest?
Enjoying your life to the fullest looks different for everyone. The simplest answer to this question is that if something you are consuming or doing is getting in the way of the things you love to do most or that you dream of doing then it is not supporting you. Our time is limited and there are several time bandits that at the moment may seem like just a small distraction but the ripple effect can stop you from living a life you enjoy. Really pay attention to the ripples that occur from not only what you eat but also what you choose to do.
Example: Back to the late night McD’s choice. We have already established that it’s not luxurious or surrounded by positive energy but what about the long term effects? Because I ate so late, in excess and such poor quality food I am pretty much guaranteed a bad sleep with meat sweats. Due to the lack of sleep I wake up late and feeling awful so I miss my chance to have a luxurious and relaxed breakfast and I also don’t have time to pack my lunch for work or take time to look fabulous. I get to work tired, frumpy and grumpy which seems to attract similar feeling and reactions from my coworkers. Every little issue at work seems impossible to deal with and I just want to go home. Lunch comes and I have nothing from home so I'm forced to grab something awful from the cafeteria which is usually carb heavy and gives me acid reflux and makes me crash which is far from luxurious. Then after work I am too tired to go for a walk or make plans or cook so I buy something pre- made from the grocery store which is mediocre in taste and most likely not very good for me. Then I turn on the tv and zone out while I eat dinner and try not to think about my life too much because if I do I’ll feel depressed. So I think we can all agree that Late night McD drive through does not support me enjoying my life to the fullest.
Feel free to download this file and put it up somewhere in your home as a reminder.
