In Search Of Strength

Like many people, I spent the first part of the pandemic unable to go to the gym and lacking the self-discipline for home workouts. I kept up this habit of being a sack of potatoes even after things opened up because I've been traveling for the past year and have had an utter lack of routine. The longest stay I've had in one place for the past 12 months has been three weeks. Granted, I've been staying at the same few places, but being on the move has some side effects.

Peak physical fitness, this is not.

Establishing a routine is still challenging because I'm still traveling for the next month. But after moving around so much, I've learned how my body responds to not being grounded. I notice myself craving heavier comfort food all the time, which usually takes the form of something cheesy like quesadillas and mozzarella sticks. The thing about constantly eating greasy, calorie-dense foods, especially when paired with not exercising, is that you quickly lose strength.

As my travels are winding down and I'm making plans for getting back into shape, my primary reflection is that strength can only come from the absence of vice. If I want washboard abs again, I must quit the mozzarella sticks.

To dive a little deeper into this idea of strength being the absence of vice, we need to consider here two things. First, what is vice? And second, how do we make it go away?

Vice is a very evocative word, and the image it evokes is not pleasant. Forgive me for using such strong language about cravings for mozzarella sticks, and apologies in advance for this mini-lesson in the word's history. Vice comes from the Latin word vitium, according to Google. Diving a little deeper, we find that vitium means a flaw or imperfection. And calling my craving for mozzarella sticks a flaw is a little nicer than calling it a vice, but vice is a more accurate word for the baser desires I have. Mozzarella sticks are just a placeholder here; we all know what our own cravings are.

The naive and unintelligent approach to any character flaw or craving is to label that desire or behavior as Bad™ and utilize a fire and brimstone approach to removing them. This may work for some time, but eventually, you'll be hungry while out to dinner, and you'll see the people at the next table ordering some mozzarella sticks. Pretty soon, you'll call the waiter over and tell them to scrap your entree and bring you three orders of mozzarella sticks to pig out on and get looked at funny by the whole restaurant. Not that I'm speaking from personal experience or anything.

The thing about cravings is that you can only indulge in them so much. I can eat mozzarella sticks until I have a stomachache, but once I'm full, I'll push my plate away and refuse to take another bite. We all have these cravings, but excessively indulging in them will ultimately cause the craving to turn into its opposite: disgust. Don't believe me? Eat your favorite food for every meal of every day for a month; I couldn't last a week.

The solution here is to moderate ourselves - sustainably indulge our cravings. A simple solution, but one that we don't do enough, especially in a society where obesity is a more significant problem than hunger. When we are moderated, it helps us enjoy our cravings more because we don't burn out and indulge too much, so we don't become disgusted with it. But what if we wish to transcend our flaws and be detached from our cravings entirely?

To transcend our vices requires inner strength, strengths of character, mind, and will. But where does our inner strength come from, especially when our cravings frequently overwhelm the mind, willpower, and intelligence?

We need to have spiritual strength. This strength allows us to dig internally, as I talked about last week. If our strength comes not from ourselves but rather from the higher power we ascribe to (karma, the Universe, God), we can connect with our deeper self far quicker than going at it alone. The great secret to spiritual life is that we can only go inside with guidance from the outside, in the form of teachers, teachings, and friends. If you think you can rely on your strength, you will fail.

Any self-development in this world relies on the strength of teachers, teachings, and friends. Want to get ahead at work? Find a teacher to help you learn how to navigate the career ladder. Want to get in better shape? Read up on nutrition and exercise routines. Want to quit drinking? Go to an AA meeting, where you'll find friends to help you in your sobriety.

Strength requires an absence of vice because vice is shifting: one day I want this, another day I like that. So this is my takeaway for when I come back from my travels is to find my teachers, study their teachings, and spend time with my friends. I'll do this not only to lay off the mozzarella sticks but also to go deeper within myself - how strong can I really be without a deep, stable, unchanging foundation?

Happy to be searching,
-Sid