TRADITION VS MINDFULNESS

Tradition vs Mindfulness

So much of what we do is done by tradition, without any thought as to why we do it. Yet, most of our traditions aren’t really traditions. They started out as really good advertising campaigns. The tradition of diamond engagement rings started in 1938 from an advertising campaign created by DeBeers diamonds.  Our traditional Santa started as an advertising campaign for Coca-Cola in 1931. We think vitamin C cures colds and that orange juice is nutritious (even though it is mostly sugar) from advertising.

 Killing and eating turkeys for Thanksgiving started in the 1860’s from promotions by the turkey industry. People ate them only at Christmas because they were cheap and could feed a lot of people. Wealthy people considered turkey “peasant food”.  Commercial beef wasn’t eaten by people until the late 19^th century.

 Our Christmas celebration, started from Pagans celebrating the Winter Solstice. Historians state Jesus was born during the summer months, not winter. Christian churches could not stop Christians from celebrating this Pagan holiday, so they made it Jesus’s birthday. Decorating our houses with lights started in the mid-20th century again from advertising campaigns.  We have been programmed by advertisers just to do these “traditions” without any thought as to why we are doing them.

We continue to think dairy products build strong bones, even though study after study has shown people who consume dairy products are at a higher risk for bone fractures. We continue to think we need to eat meat for protein, even though study after study has shown meat eaters have a much higher risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and that plant proteins are much easier for the body to process. We have been taught to ignore the suffering of animals and kill billions of them every year without regard.

Slavery was traditional. Stoning people was traditional and in some countries, still is. Spanking children with belts use to be the traditional way to punish bad behavior. It took many years of public outcry to get these traditions out of the mainstream.

As we mature and leave home to become our own person, we must examine our “traditions” and find out why we do them. Traditions that do not sit well with our souls must be dropped.  We cannot use “It’s tradition” or “We’ve always done that “, as excuses for bad behavior.  We must consider if others suffer from our traditions.

Mindfulness is being aware—aware of what you are doing and how it affects others. It is taking responsibility for your actions and your choices. Being aware means researching what you are doing and what the consequences are. It means making necessary changes.  It is taking control of your life back from corporations and their propaganda. It puts you in the driver’s seat.

 When you are mindful of what you eat, you are fully aware of the suffering and torture on your plate.  It is as if you tortured and slit the throat of the innocent animal yourself.  You are aware of the planet destruction your food choices cause.  You soon will find the taste of death unpalatable.

Being mindful, you are aware of the freshness of fruit and vegetables and the vibrate taste of life that comes with every bite. It is the most wonderful feeling to eat healthy and know that nothing suffered or died. It feels great to know that you are bringing peace to our planet as well as ending planet destruction.  Thinking for yourself is the feeling of true freedom.