Tag: crap

There is so much talk nowadays about what we put into our bodies. If I could sum up all of the nutritional theories the mantra would be: crap in, crap out. Recently, on a long layover I watched the movie What The Health and my big takeaway was anything I eat that I don’t pluck from untainted fields myself will kill me. Ok, I may be exaggerating a little. However, the experts that were interviewed in the making of the documentary did allude to the fact that a poor diet will produce a poor output – in the form of obesity, hypertension, cancer, and other maladies.

Beyond food, we also have other sources of intake. Some studies indicate that the average American sees about 4,000 ads per day. An ad, in this instance, may be seeing the Nike swoosh on someone’s shoes as they walk by. When you combine that with the 15-17 minutes of commercials that are played during a one-hour television program the level of advertising we witness is staggering. According to Tech Marketing expert, Menmood Hanif, the average internet user gets 11,150 ads per month. We are consistently and constantly inundated with information, much of it useless, whether we want it or not.

If what we eat can effect how we live or if we live, then how much more can what we see or hear effect how we think and how we speak? The effects of poor eating habits may be more readily apparent but the results of poor intake in all forms can be equally damaging. On the path to fulfilling our purpose in life, it behooves us to think about what we’re thinking about. Thoughts precede actions and thoughts are the result of the information (in all forms) that we have consumed. When we examine our lives it is vital that we ask the question, do I need to change my mental diet?

EYE GATE

Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness” (Matt. 6:22-23). He is saying that the eye is a metaphorical window that allows light to enter our bodies. Therefore, what we see, however briefly, enters our eye and is translated in our minds. Some intake will be unavoidable but if we can be better stewards of our intake we can limit the damaging images and messaging that would inhibit our ability to live out our purpose.

EAR GATE

Do you think about what you listen to? How many conversations, tv shows, videos or songs do you hear in a day? If you took time to sit down and analyze all of them how many of them would be life affirming? How many of them would be beneficial to your development? How many of them would be detrimental to the fulfillment of your purpose? In Mark 4:24 Jesus says, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.” He is imploring us to examine what we hear and be careful of whose advice we take to heart.

EXIT GATE

Once we become more cognizant of what we see and hear we will be better able to control what we give out. If you’ve listened to hateful speech all day it will be difficult to speak words of love. If you’ve watched hostility or violence on tv all day, you may be less likely to go out of your way to show love to someone else. Whether we realize it or not, our intake largely determines our output. Therefore, if you know your purpose in life, it only makes sense to feed yourself the auditory or visual food that will enable you to give birth to the vision that’s inside of you. We all have a measure of influence and what we see and hear will determine both the quantity and the quality of the influence we exert. Do yourself, those around you, and the world at large a favor and examine the sources of those things that influence you.