A Lesson in Being Hangry
A Lesson in Being Hangry
Going Below the Surface to Discover Your Wound
Even before hangry existed, I discovered the intuitive nature of my body.
As a young man in my twenties, I would regularly fast, or abstain from eating food for a duration for spiritual purposes. This discipline quickly taught me how my body communicates with me when it is hungry and how that may affect me.
It turns out that this principle applies to much more than food.
Over the years, I have continued to develop a sensitivity to my body communicating with me. I usually experience a heaviness in my upper chest and lower neck area where my unease usually resides.
Rather than leaving the heaviness unresolved and allowing it to affect me throughout the day, I have learned to talk to it. I ask the heaviness where it came from and why it is with me. In every instance, I can follow it back to something that happened earlier- a conversation that was off, someone being upset with me, or something from my past.
The other day my daughter shared that she overthinks things to an unhealthy degree. I asked her to go deeper and try to discover what issue may be causing her to overthink. Considering it further, she supposed her overthinking resulted from anxiety. But again, I noted that anxiety is a symptom of an underlying issue.
Going deeper, she discovered that her overthinking came from the belief that she needed to perform at the highest level in everything she does. I asked her if this comes from the expectations others have of her or her own expectations. She said the latter.
Our tendency, many times, is to perceive these manifestations as the actual problem rather than symptoms of the problem. And while it is always beneficial to have good discipline and healthy life rhythms to center ourselves, we will only discover the underlying issue when we go deeper.
The same is true for our wounds.
As you listen to your body, what is it telling you? What would it look like to travel to the source? What wound is behind your anger, bitterness, and resentment? What wound is causing your unhappiness? What wound is the root of your impatience and frustration? What wound fuels the judgment and hatred you feel toward yourself or others?
It may be a difficult journey to get there. But once you arrive, the process of true healing may begin.
Question
Spend some time this week listening to your body. What is it telling you about your tendencies, proclivities, or wounds?
Peace,
Brandon
