Free choice: a concept to be understood.

[DanielaParticipant]

Hi Gillian,
Hi community,

This is what happened yesterday.
I was in a shopping mall. Full of food stores there.
I got a strong 9 out of 10 food craving. (Expectedly )

I started to breath. And that helped me to think about the next step.

I whispered into my mask 😷: I m having a addictive desire.

Continued breathing.

By this time my craving was 3 out of 10.

I was left with sadness while I was thinking about free choice. My thoughts are used to think ‘overeating is freedom’ not ‘not eating is freedom’.

By this time and all that thinking I had 0 craving but left with sadness.

I went home didn’t buy anything To eat in the mall.

Free choice is something that I have not understood yet.

Not sure what my question is.
May be just comments.
Will go back and watch the choice chapter.

Best
Daniela

[GillianModerator]

Wonderful, Daniela. Excellent.

The feelings of deprivation – such as sadness – often tend to linger a bit. All you do is talk to yourself when you notice them:

– that was my own free choice to not eat the mall food
– I made that choice for a reason, and hope to see the benefits of it soon (or already?)
– I can go back there another day (or later today even) and eat that food any time

If you do that, the sadness of ‘deprivation’ will fade away. Yes, the Week 3 choice webinar is good to review, especially starting 38 minutes from the beginning, for about 15 minutes.

[JessicaParticipant]

Thank you for this comment, Daniela. I can completely relate. I loved the way you describe the idea that for so long “freedom” has meant giving into addictive desire. I am used to feeling that way too and it’s definitely a shift in thinking to embrace a different kind of freedom. I think I will struggle with that and the sadness as well.

I guess that’s why it’s so important to pick a motivation that is immediate and more tangible to hold onto instead. And also to remember that it’s not as if you can’t go back and get it later. I like thinking of it not as “never” but rather “not right now.”

[Author]

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