Thursday, July 15, 2010

Junk Food For The Mind.

I've been spending a lot of time lately monitoring what I am eating. I read nutrition labels, watch for serving counts, and pay attention to portion control. It's important that I take in the good stuff and skip the bad. 

So why do I let so much other bad stuff into my system? Why do I spend time reading about trashy celebrities and hateful television hosts and ranting politicians? Why do I bother reading articles about Hollywood feuds and racist rants? 

It's junk food for the mind. And I don't need it. It does nothing for me, and in fact, I think it poisons my mind a little bit more everyday. So I'm going to be more mindful of what I allow in. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to put myself in Pollyanna City, pretending that all is wonderful in the world and that nothing bad is happening. That's not reality. But I am going to eliminate the silly and wasteful consumption of useless information. 

For example, as a former Active Duty Marine, I'm always mindful of the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, just yesterday afternoon I was honored to see a friend receive his second Bronze Star for illustrious and brave courage under combat fire. And because of my connections to the war, I see stories like this, read them carefully, and say a prayer for those lost and for those who loved and cared for them. 
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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Eight American troops were killed in a series of attacks in southern Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday as Taliban militants pushed back against an effort to secure the volatile region. 
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But there are other stories that I no longer need to read. I don't care if Bristol Palin is engaged, if Lindsay Lohan goes to jail, or if Mel Gibson goes on another drunken, racist rant. I don't care what happens to Roman Polanski, the Kardashians or a single Real Housewife of Any City. 

Enough with the mental junk food. Being healthy is more than just about the body. It's about the mind and the spirit, too. And this guy is going to start truly caring for myself by being way more careful about how I fuel myself mentally, emotionally and spiritually. 

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