Doesn’t the Spirit Deserve to Be Fed As Much As the Body?

If the body must be fed regularly to perform at its best, doesn’t it stand to reason that our spirit would also benefit from regular feeding throughout the day?  The spirit (soul) and the body are partners during this earthly journey and both must be strong if the human is to thrive.  Just as a bird can’t fly with only one strong wing, neither can we.  We must eat so that we will have the energy and strength required to navigate this earthly journey.

And, both our bodies and our spirits must be healthy and strong if we wish to be happy, healthy, moral, and productive.   Don’t you think that your spirit deserves at least the same degree of nurturing as your physical body?  Especially since the soul is to live an eternity and the body is destined to perish at some point?

Serve Your Soul A Regular, Balanced and Varied Diet

So, why not make a habit of feeding the spirit as regularly as you feed your physical body?  I try to feed my spirit twice a day, but now I’m going to make a conscious effort and commitment to feed my spirit at least as often as I feed my body.  Saying grace can help with this, but words are not enough, for we must move beyond words to action. Just as the body needs a varied and regular diet, so does the soul.  The spirit thrives on a diet of inspirational words, positive people, exciting goals, , meaningful service, and a life lived on purpose.  It needs spiritual nutrients to grow stronger, prayer, meditation, deeds, and virtuous qualities such as love, truth, justice, faith, and gratitude.

Try This Spiritual Diet

Why not break your fast each morning with a little prayer and meditation? For lunch, consume some spiritual and inspirational words.   Throughout the day, why not snack on some selfless deeds of service, virtuous thoughts, and words of appreciation and gratitude.  And for dinner, feast on another heaping helping of prayer and reflection.  For dessert, read some Holy Words.  And just before you go to bed, make your late night snack be a focus on the things you have to be grateful for, so that you will end your day in appreciation, joy, and contentment.  You’ll find that your sleep will be more peaceful, your mind more creative and content, and your life will be more balanced and happier.  Commit to creating better spiritual habits and while you’re at it, make sure the food you put into your body (your spirit’s earthly temple and home) is nutritious.

I’m Barbara Talley, The Poet who speaks and inspires.   “If this message makes sense use it, if it doesn’t refuse it; for nothing of value can be achieved without knowledge, volition, and action.”   http://www.thepoetspeaks.com

Eat or Die

Most people don’t have to be reminded to eat.  Rarely do those who have access to food choose to not feed their bodies.  They know that food is critical to life and without food, they die.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and a few extra snacks in between are routine and habitual for most of us.  So much so, that we begin to crave food during these specific times and feel deprived if we don’t eat.  Very few people willingly choose to eat only once a day, or every few days, or only when they are starving or waning.  In fact most people eat out of habit.  In response to this, society has created innumerable rituals, industries, and businesses solely to accommodate this one habit.  Reflect on the number of grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee shops or bakeries around you.  Availability is one of the reasons that so many eat the wrong things, eat when they are not hungry, and continue to stuff themselves long after their hunger has been satisfied.  Moderation and wisdom of course are key.  The wise have learned that feeding the body nutritious food regularly and in small portions is best for digestion, continuous energy, and ultimately for the optimal health of the body.

Don’t Forget to Feed the Spirit

Photo by - arguellesmontiel22@yahoo.com

But, unfortunately this is not always the case when it comes to feeding the spirit, for far too many people are spiritually famished.  You can spot them by the spirit-less qualities they exude.  Because they have neglected to feed their spirits, they have begun to perish little by little, day by day, and their destructive vices reflect their spiritual deterioration.  Dispirited people tend to exhibit one or more of the following qualities.  They may be self-centered, depressed, complainers, impatient, angry, unhappy, ungrateful, unfair, untruthful, hateful, revengeful, mean-spirited, faith-less, or vision-less.

Virtues Replace Vices When The Spirit is Properly Fed

However, when the spirit is properly fed, these vices begin to disappear and are gradually replaced with an opposite virtue.  The self-centered person begins to consider the needs of others more.  The depressed begin to feel more hopeful and happier.  The complainers begin to see through a lens of  gratitude and compliment more.  The impatient become more patient; anger turns to joy; hate turns to love, and so on.

I’m Barbara Talley, The Poet who speaks and inspires.   “If this message makes sense use it, if it doesn’t refuse it; for nothing of value can be achieved without knowledge, volition, and action.”