Imagine that your body is a car. Now, we both know it isn’t a car, but a car is the perfect vehicle, no pun intended, to learn about fuel and how we fuel our bodies. So you have a car that you love, or at least care about, and you want to provide it with fuel so that you can drive it around and go places.
Now most of us don’t top off the fuel tank continually while we are driving around, we drive until we are well into the reserve and the little “E” indicator is lit up. But what do we do to our bodies?
We not only continually top off the tank but we even strap extra fuel tanks outside weighing down our bodies and making them run less efficiently. The lesson here, is to start to feel more comfortable using the fuel in your tank and don’t be afraid to tap into your reserve!
You know those idiot lights or, what do they call them- indicator lights in your dash? What if no matter which light came on, you stopped to put in gas? Whether the car needs oil, or washer fluid, or brake fluid or transmission, the only thing you ever give it is more fuel, sounds crazy, huh? But does it also sound familiar? Whether your real need is to reward, to entertain or to comfort yourself, how often do you just add more fuel?
The lesson: if hunger is not the question, then food is not the answer! When an “indicator light” comes on for you, figure out what your mind and body really need and give it that. Then, learn to stop when the tank is full. Resist the urge to squirt in a bit more!
What ideas do you have to extend the metaphor?
Inga Duncan Thornell 