by Greg Everage
We face it, every day. The pressure to fit it all in and to decide what is the most important in descending order. And that order is decided by the amount of time that we have to fit it all in. In one day, one week, one month and one year. Family, work, home, hobby, religion, community, time for ones self. What is time? What is priority? How and where does it all fall within our lives and how do we manage it in being able to give everything and everyone the proper amount of time? The amount of time that will make a difference, a difference for that raise, for that connection with your child or your spouse, to make your home more comfortable and curb appealing, to your environment, to yourself in giving you the clear mind, that relieve valve that helps you get through it all, helps you to manage the time and set the priorities? Age-old question. Quest and struggle.
For me, in trying to put this all into prospective is to say to myself and to others “slow down”. Yea, easy for you to say. Slow down. What is slowing down? (I am asking a lot of questions, huh?) Slowing down is taking a step back, taking a breath and deciding what are the most important things in your life? To you. Because with out you, the family, the job, the house, the environment, the religion and the community – suffers. So, what does it takes to make you the best and most effective, you ask? Well first and foremost it is health. With out that you are truly nothing. You cannot be a good spouse, father, sibling, and member of your community unless you are healthy. What is health? The things that support good health are; enough sleep, good and healthy food, good and healthy drink, exercise and an open and relaxed state of mind.
What will fuel enough sleep, exercises and an open and relax state of mind? Good and healthy food and drink. And what is the best way to experience good food and drink? It is to slow down and pay attention to where you get your food, how YOU cook and prepare the food and that you sit down, around a table and consume this healthy food and drink with the people that you care about – friends and family.
This is where priorities come in. How often do we hear ourselves saying, “I work to late”, “There is just not enough time”, “It is hard to get everyone together”, “Our schedules are to full”? Again, priorities. Slow down. Look at what is truly important. You’re health, the people you care about, and your time. I could sit here and list all of the data that supports how developing a better relationship with food, taking the time to grow, purchase and cook your own food and how sitting at a table with people and sharing a meal helps to support development in children, prevents obesity, creates strong family and friends relationships, relieves stress and makes people healthier and more productive. But I won’t. Just slow down. Live life and and reset some priorities.
Family Eats is all about getting back into the kitchen and back around the table as a family and a community, to consume life nurturing food and drink. Good healthy food and drink with people you love and want to develop a life long relationship with, will create that health and happiness – both the physical and the mental. By developing a better relationship with your food you will discover how the basics of life can help you to lead a better and more nurturing life. Through the course of our content at Family Eats we will ask you to “slow down”, priorities and make some changes that might seem difficult at first, but once you get into the groove it becomes easy, healthy and a whole lot of fun.
Does it take effort? Yes. Planning? Yes. Is it easy, fast and quick? No. Is it hard? Sometimes. Is it expensive? No. It is slower, healthier and full of the people that you care about the most. Go ahead, ask yourself some questions. Make some changes.
So, you ready to take it slow?
