This is the realization that led me to modify the ways I move through life.

Perhaps it was a result of meditation, the added attention span and focus on my environment, but I became acutely aware of how things around me made me feel.
I gained a sincere appreciation for our natural instincts. You know, instincts. Those things science depicts as primal and that humans are somehow more advanced because we are able to make conscious choices that animals can’t because their instincts control them.
Yea… those things.
I rejected the idea that instincts were somehow beneath us and in fact, it is our abandonment of instinct that allows us to be trapped in unhealthy habits of culture, like the ones Umair Hague wrote about in “Why American Life is Traumatizing”
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How I practiced trusting my instincts:
Meditation.
I focused in on different parts of my body during meditation and noticed how they “felt.” Did this part of my body feel “at ease, uncomfortable, or pained.?”
Then I asked WHY that part of my body felt that way. I didn’t do this too often,, because it was only the beginning of what I would later do.
It wasn’t long before this occasional meditations created a habit of paying attention to my body and mind’s messages. Why do I feel so uncomfortable when my BF and I are watching TV on the couch? Hmmm… Let me try a change of environment and activity and see how this feeling changes.
I got a book and a blanket and sat outside. I read 2 paragraphs or so, laid on my back and just breathed. It was GREAT!!! My body felt more at ease and my energy felt reset.

This was the day I decided to cut off the TV almost entirely from my life. My BF (who is now my ex) loved TV, but I realized that for me, the constant barage of commercials and TV people speaking at me, prevented myself from being expressive and it kept me inside when I needed more fresh air.
HERE’S HOW THAT HAS EXPANDED SINCE THEN
I did the same thing in most areas of my life: food, sex, drinks, friends, the news, environments like home, work and other spaces, self-talk… everything. I just started paying attention to what my instincts were telling me:
“I don’t like this” “This makes me feel so gooooood!” “This feels good right now but after it always leave this bad aftertaste…” This could be better”
And I modified the situation based on what my natural instincts told me was good for me or not.
Now, I rarely watch any type of “shows” whether on TV, Netflix or any other platform. I have not had cable in my house for 10 years. Yup.
My diet includes mostly veggies, fruits and grains, but I didn’t cut out meat because contrary to what my vegan friends tell me, meat is a necessary part of my diet as it gives me the protein I need for the my unique metabolism. NO FAD DIETS.
and that’s another MAJOR facet of the changes I made: NO FADS AND NO TRENDS.

That goes for fashion, food, activities and more. If I can’t see this “thing” as a boost to my overall well-being, then I won’t participate. No shade on those who choose that trend but it won’t work for me.
I don’t watch the news, but I stay informed because news jargon is designed to HEIGHTEN the feeling of trauma and fear. Don’t believe me? Watch 10 minutes of news on any network, and then compare it to the feeling when watching a violent attack on a child. The emotional impact is very similar.
They craft the news dialogue in order to feed you Fear-Crack. Because they know psychologically, if we remain in a traumatized fear state, we will seek out more of it. It’s an addiction.
So I cut off the crack line….
and here are some other choices I’ve made to improve the health of my Life in these Americas.
Homeschooling my child, only buying things I need and less impulse buys, seeing sex as a health part of my life, enjoying passion freely, exploring new things for my own enjoyment, not what others might think of its validity… etc.
Dressing for me. Living for ME.
BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE ALONE

I love to love on the people in my life. LOVE is a huge part of my overall physical, mental and spiritual health.
Giving and receiving love. It nourishes the connections to others around me. It soothes me like a warm blanket while eating ice cream and cuddling with my bae. :-)
Living for you just means that you make choices about what feels good to you, but it does not mean you disregard others around you.
In fact, WHAT MY INSTINCTS DECLARE LOUDLY, is that LOVING ON MY CIRCLE, IS HEALTHY AND EMPOWERING FOR ME AS WELL.