A favourite takeout restaurant has added a new twist to their order. In addition to their amazing packaging, each order comes in its own bento box with beautiful colouring, organised sections, and a wonderful presentation, the package is now sealed with labelled white tape.
As I begin to tear the seals away, I found myself reading their instructions to Eat, Love, Repeat as a life mantra. Life whispers spoke of how this mandate could frame my life.
Life requires fuel. Fuel for our bodies. Fuel for our minds is also essential. Fuel for our hearts is often neglected and probably the most important. Last night, I fed my body as well as my heart. It was a wonderful experience, shared with love and a sense of hope.
What we consume is important. It is almost too easy to forget the fundamentals. With physical food, sugars, oils, processed, natural, plant-based, and organic all come to mind. What are the words that I should think about as filters and criteria for the food for my mind? Even more so, what about the food for my heart and soul? Beauty, wonder, and awe are great starting points. I find myself looking to invest time in the others.
How we consume is critical and underappreciated. If stress is present, feeding will never be as effective as it would be with a sense of belonging and acceptance. If one is rushed, the benefits of enjoying each bite, using a zen line approach to chewing and savouring the flavours, textures, and nuances is often lost.
This process of eating is both natural and, for me, often careless. Taking time, being intentional, and looking to grow is just the beginning. What follows is the critical part of the mandate; to love and be loved.
I reflect on the trail I see left around me. Others seem to “litter the land with heartbreak and ruin.” (Romans 3.16). I have an opportunity to create examples of beauty, gift others with compassionate actions, and be a force for good.
My mandate today is Eat, Love, Repeat.
