I came upon a wishing tree in the neighborhood this weekend. The wishes were all over the spectrum from deeply personal life situations to lighthearted and probably quickly forgotten.
I also turned forty this weekend. I had such an amazing day with friends and family that wishing for anything more makes me feel Steve Martin making his Christmas Wish.
If I had one wish that I could wish this holiday season, it would be for all the children of the world to join hands and sing together in the spirit of harmony and peace.
If I had two wishes that I could wish for this holiday season, the first would be for all the children of the world to join hands and sing in the spirit of harmony and peace.. and the second would be for $30 million a month to be given to me, tax-free in a Swiss bank account.
You know, if I had three wishes that I could make this holiday season, first, of course, would be for all the children to get together and sing.. the second would be for the $30 million every month to me.. and the third would be for all encompassing power over every living being thing in the entire universe.
And if I had four wishes that I could make this holiday season, first would be the crap about the kids…
-Steve Martin
Is everyone familiar with this performance? It’s always top of mind for me when it comes to wishes.
But if I had five wishes, somewhere on that list, I wish everyone would abolish deprivation diet resolutions.
I used to totally believe I needed to find the willpower to live on an austere boring diet to be healthy, which is such a big damn lie I hope nobody else falls for. I know people that still try the starvation diet thing, constantly battling with the normal desire for a satisfying meal and this myth that withholding from yourself will make your life better somehow. It doesn’t work and it breaks my heart.
If there is anything of the sort on your list that starts with the words “give up,” my wish is that you cross it off right this second.
Instead I wish that you’ll think about what you want more of that will make you happier and healthier. More veggies, more experimentation with spices, more healthy fats, more home-grown foods, whatever inspires you, that you cannot wait to start.
Plan for an abundance of your new thing. Throw your energy into daydreaming or reading or pinning about those things. Try new recipes, throw new foods in the shopping basket, pick more stems from your herb garden, find starring roles on your plate for the bounty from your edible garden patch, share your delicious new creations with your loved ones.
It’s way more inspiring to think about what wonderful things you want to add to your life, rather than the things you want to take away. I think you fill your life with the things you do want, and there’s no room left for the things you don’t want. So much more fun.
I got a genie lamp for my birthday. So this is my wish. After first wishing for a million wishes. Obviously.
