So What?! About Buffering Part II
My last post about buffering has brought up some questions. Like…am I saying that eating chips and watching Netflix is bad? I mean…can’t I have a little fun?!
Of course! And first and foremost, I love me some chocolate cake!! In fact, if you’d like to skip to a past post re: chocolate cake…
Now, on to my clarifications. Behavior is determined buffering only when done in excess. And the cool part about this is only YOU can determine what is considered excess. I heard it said once that when you sit down for deserved relaxation it feels earned; there is not second guessing or guilt attached.
Buffering starts out in response to our desire or “want” for something. All good. But the ultimate problem being that the behavior we participate in might be what we want immediately, it may cost us in the long run.
Another way to check in on whether this is a healthy want or not is that sometimes buffering starts feeling like a “need” rather than a want. In this day of abundance for most of us there is very little we “need” that we don’t have at our disposal ie. food, shelter etc. Buffering becomes a craving which feels so much like a need that we can find ourselves feeling hijacked.
The easiest example would be over eating. The food tastes so good…at first but then can lead to stomach upset, bloating and eventual weight gain leading to health problems, difficulty navigating life and limited activity. Wow! Something as innocent as consuming a salty food and there you go…hijacked.
Another less obvious hijack situation would be TV binging. Starts out as relaxation or entertainment and then before you know it, you have been sitting for hours which may not seem to be a real problem except for what didn’t you do while you were watching every episode? May I suggest sleeping?…not that I have experience here, please. Honestly, I have binged like the rest of them {not you, of course} to the point of my butt and/or leg getting numb…wow! What are you NOT creating for this world of ours if you are stuck consuming?
In both of these examples a simple pleasure becomes a thief of lasting joy ie. overeating robbing us of a healthy body able to participate untethered in all life activities and show binging keeping us from creating something only we could share with others. Health and a creative life are both potential producers of lasting joy.
Now here is the best news: Buffering is a choice. It is your choice. You get to decide what and when the activities you are involved in are considered buffering.
AND you get to decide how you feel about that.
If you would like to change then it is honestly within your power to do so.
Some people would question that last sentence but I have seen clients make changes in their buffering lives with a combination of self awareness + intentional living.
Our brains are amazing! The same brain that sometimes hijacks your plans is the exact one that can get you back on track.
xoKathleen
