Our daily routine is dominated by our senses. When we’re determining what foods to eat, what kind of music we’re going to listen to, what kind of books to read, what kind of things to buy, our senses come into play. When you’re dominated by these senses that unconsciously arise, it’s easy to become a prisoner to a cycle of chasing after the immediate likes and avoiding the dislikes.
In order to grow and contribute to our long game, we need to develop less rigidity within our likes and dislikes. We want to create a more spacious flexibility within our likes and our dislikes.
There are many benefits to being flexible within your likes and your dislikes. First, it shields you against stress. The more rigid you are with your likes and your dislikes, then the more stress you’re going to experience because when you don’t get what you want, you get stressed. 90% of all illness is related to stress.
Second, we also start to find a greater sense of emotional stability. We’re no longer on that crazy wild ride – happy and elated when we get what we want, and then falling into despair, when we don’t get what we want. That’s an exhausting way to live.
Third, when you have flexibility within your likes and your dislikes, you are more enjoyable to be around. People want to be around somebody who’s more flexible with their likes and their dislikes because we’re all different.
A good place to practice flexibility within your likes and your dislikes is with food. If you always go with your likes when it comes to food, you’re going to choose the wrong things. You’re going to over consume things that are often spicy, salty, fatty or sweet, which we all know aren’t good for our long-term health.
So start by training the palate. Here is a challenge for you. Try giving up your favorite tasty food for something that you don’t necessarily love the taste of, but know is highly nutritious. Maybe this is green juice. Maybe it’s kale. Whatever it is, try replacing one food your senses instinctively like with a healthy food your senses might not like so much initially, and see what changes. This will help you to start to find a bit of freedom beyond your likes and your dislikes.
When you live in this way, when you find the freedom of your likes and dislikes, you’ll feel like you’re reclaiming a part of yourself, that part of inner power and self-mastery, and this will boost your self-esteem.
I challenge you to stop being a hostage to your senses.
When you are rigid with the taste of food, most likely you’re rigid in other areas as well, and things that are too rigid, often get broken. Watch your mind, and be aware of how this theme of likes and dislikes plays itself out. As you start giving up the temporary pleasures for things of an infinite measure, watch how your happiness grows.
Below are some recommended practices to challenge you and help build freedom from likes and dislikes:
https://www.innerdimensiontv.com/classes/edge/
https://www.innerdimensiontv.com/classes/power-balance/
https://www.innerdimensiontv.com/classes/powerful-warrior/
https://www.innerdimensiontv.com/classes/strong-and-supple-with-travis-eliot/