Freedom: When Self-Denial = Liberation

My wife, a few friends, and I have begun our new eating plan for the next three months. It is our attempt to reach for more this year and to catapult ourselves to a higher standard of living. Surprisingly, even after one day, I have been acquainted with an undeniable truth—which just happens to be a little ironic.

 

When we think of restricting any sort of behavior or habit that we like, it can seem as though we are imprisoning ourselves. We are barring ourselves from a known and treasured pleasure. We might quit eating out, drinking coffee, buying new Under Armour gear regularly (definitely one of my pleasures), or many other amusements, endeavors, or rituals that target the pleasure centers of our brain. It is daunting, even hypothetically to attempt such a feat.

 

However, if we just take the plunge, we might discover that by cutting out these pleasures we are actually freeing ourselves from the bondage of self-indulgence. Oftentimes, we have divergent goals/values which create a constant conflict in our psychological selves. For example, a person might value health and fitness but also eat poorly and drink frequently. This concept is called cognitive dissonance, and it leads to compromise, dissatisfaction, feelings of failure, shame, etc. It is universally evident in our lives–this debilitating cross pressure.

 

And so, by cutting out one of the antagonistic pleasures, we actually attain liberation of sorts from a burden that prevents us from being more like who we want to be. It is humbling sometimes to admit that we are paralyzed by our pleasures, but the sweet truth is that freedom from certain pet pleasures actually might make life more pleasurable.

 

Sadly, many people avoid the necessary self-analysis and consequently can’t separate the wheat from the chaff in their lives. I have only just begun this experiment is self-discipline, but I already feel more like myself. Yes, I will regret many days that I am cutting out foods that I love, but ultimately I know that I will be better for it. I encourage you to attempt something similar in the next few months. It is a great time of year to get stuff done, and the benefits might just be life changing.