hara hachi bu

it hit me recently that i feel great.
i remember when i used to have frequent headaches and stomachaches
and i’m thrilled to compare how i feel now to how i felt then.
i don’t think enough about where i’ve been –
it’s normal though, isn’t it? when you feel good, you tend to forget about the days when you didn’t…

¹¹ Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. ¹² Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God,…” [Deuteronomy 8]

see, it’s not just me, it’s not just you. it’s human nature.
but
we can stop and remember.
we can remember what was and we can be that much more thankful for what is.
God has trained this heart, over some time,
to love food because i love health because i love the One who created all of it.
and there’s this thing that Japanese people say:
hara hachi bu
which is how they remind themselves to eat until they are only 80% full.
i’ve consciously…subconsciously? adopted this philosophy
and this, i believe, is one of the biggest reasons why i feel great.
i’ve learned the art of eating enough, but just enough
and in that i’ve discovered that it was the overeating that was often to blame
for the headaches and the stomachaches
and the growth from there to here is a precious gift,
one that i intend to remember
so that i don’t become proud and forget.
take some time today to remember. be thankful. and as a result, be well.
❤