I was in a pet store the other day and happened by an aquarium filled with goldfish and as I was watching them swim in circles I realized they are completely immersed in their environment and completely powerless, stuck in a bowl without an opportunity to make a single choice. They require no discipline in their lives; everything is regulated for them, surrounded by water and completely reliant upon humans.
We decide when to feed them, what to feed them, how much to feed them, when to change their water, they don’t even get to choose their burial; on land or at sea (flushed down the toilet).
If they are our pets, we want them to live a long, healthy life, we feed them the most nutritious goldfish food, being careful not to feed them too much and change the water often so their environment is the healthiest we can provide.
We understand if they don’t have clean water, they cannot breathe properly and soon will begin to struggle; no longer swimming happily all day, but become sluggish and lethargic. If we choose to over-feed them, they will soon be chubby and eventually stop swimming around; less exercise and more food – deadly combination for a goldfish. If you put too many fish in one bowl and provide no space for them to get away from the other goldfish, they will become stressed and begin fighting with each other.
They require no discipline because they are not faced with any choices. We on the other hand can choose every one of these aspects for our own life, but are often not mindful or disciplined in our choices. We fail to look at our own environment and then make choices based upon what is best for our own quality of life.
Think of yourself as a goldfish! What would you need to do to make more aware choices so you can live a long life filled with health and happiness?
What choices could you make today to improve the quality of the environment surrounding you?
Is the water you are immersed in, the environment around you, clean so you can breathe freely or are you suffocating under the stress of a busy life?
Are you choosing the best, most nutritious food to eat and limiting the amount?
Have you taken time to get away from the endless routine of work and chores that crowd your mind, leaving no space for your thoughts to roam freely in the open space?
Following is a list of things I need to be mindful of within my life. I hope you will consider adding these to your daily “to do” list.
* Take time to have fun and laugh each day.
*Eat nourishing food for most of the week (life is too short to give it all up).
*Make sure you get enough sleep.
* Spend time with the people you love, those that enrich your spirit – no weeds allowed!
* Meditate and enjoy the quiet as often as you can.
*Be thankful you’re not a goldfish! We are blessed to have the opportunity to make our own choices.
We all want to live long healthy lives. If we make an effort to regulate the environment of our goldfish so they flourish, shouldn’t we take time to look at and then make choices that will nurture our own environment?
Life is not supposed to be about struggling within the confines of a bowl of murky water. It is about making choices that will allow you to thrive, living a long healthy life in crystal clear water within a vast sea of happiness and joy!
Namaste
Kim