There have been two major changes in my thinking in the last few months. The first came from reading sci fi. I finally read Dune by Frank Herbert.
I thought it was really good, except for the end but that is another post. This one quote on page 65 of my library sale copy changed the way I view myself and the things I do.
"Many have marked the speed with which Muad'Dib learned the necessities of Arrakis. The Bene Gesserit, of course, know the basis of this speed. For the others, we can say that Muad'Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn.It is shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many believe learning to be difficult. Muad'Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson."
Knowing that I can learn and that it isn't that difficult has influenced how I look at anything that I do. Projects I thought "too hard" usually aren't if I just sit down and do it. This was a big game changer for me. I am learning to trust in myself to be able to learn. It is amazing how that one little thought can change everything.
The other major influence is Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It is her chronicle of how she and her family ate local, in-season, organic food for a year. The closer to home the better. The ideal was to know where all there food was grown. Most of it coming from their own yard or people they knew. It is a good, fun read but it is also completely compelling. There are so many reasons to eat local, organic, in-season, whole foods. There is less fuel used to get food to your table, it is of course healthy, you create a relationship between yourself and your food, it creates an appreciation for what you eat, it puts soul into your food. Fast food or packaged food may be convenient but it lacks soul. "Home cookin'" always gives something more than just food to fill your belly; if done well it can fill your body and your soul. Because it is done thoughtfully and with effort, however gourmet or simple. There are other political and economic reasons but that again is another post. For me it is enough to want to give my family better food and a better relationship and appreciation for the food they eat.
I hope these two thoughts help you too. I encourage you to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It is fun and informative and will only make you feel good about making thoughtful choices for your family.
