I Like, I Don’t Like: An Insight on Preference

Preferences are such an interesting thing. There are certain foods that I like and I don’t like. And then there foods I may like but my body doesn’t. This insight has come to show me that liking is a conceptual or habitual function. It falls in the realm of opinion. My body, however, in its desire for survival and health talks to me through visceral feedback. Its wisdom is deeper.

I remember the day I stopped eating meat. I would like to say I wanted to be a gentler person and not kill animals or that I woke up to the realization that everyone in the world could be fed if each of us ate more plant-based food and less-to-no animal products. Or, point to the environment’s adverse impact due to an overabundance of cow farts (truly, I read a study on this) that influences air quality. But, that isn’t true. I quit eating meat because my body stopped me. Cold turkey (pardon intentional).

One day the thought of eating chicken sounded nauseasly repulsive. So I made a deal with my body. No meat in my body for two weeks. Then I extended it to thirty days. After feeling really great, I increased it to a month. Now years have passed without eating meat. The decision wasn’t made from the mental place of preference or opinion, it came from a deep body Wisdom.

I recently met a woman I didn’t like and this bothered my mind. I thought about it a lot. My body was doing twists and turns internally in her presence and energetically there was no way to connect or share together in a field. My head was caught up in manners, and wanting to try to come to some form of agreement. My head wanted me to like her, and my gut  just didn’t. Okay, it wasn’t really her I was responding to, but her behavior. She didn’t keep her word and she told lots of lies. In fact, blatant, in-the-face lies. I didn’t like this.

Something powerful happened when I allowed myself to admit I didn’t like her current self. I was freed. I stopped struggling. I accepted what is. I didn’t make me right and her wrong. I didn’t try to change either one of us. I didn’t bless, pray, forgive, heal, do anything with this energy other than observe and accept it. What I noticed was interesting. As I accepted my dislike, my body settled down and experienced a deep, deep love. Love for me and love for her. I noticed I wanted her to have the BEST life and thrive, just as I’d wanted it for me. I realized in the midst of not liking her, I deeply loved her. This was powerful.

Now I go into prayer and meditation and speak to the Spirit that is alive within me and know It is active within her. I pray that her life be abundantly joyful while I allow myself to not like and not be attached to her behavior or my need to have it different.

There is a great Peace is allowing what is to be while surrendering to the Deep Eternal Love within and without me and acting out of this place when moved.

Aaaah, today is another Go(o)d Day,