Everyday Systems: nosdiet: message 1693 of 3212

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Diane wrote:
most of us with a weight problem haven't been helped by diets 
because they depend mainly on willpower and willpower is like 
walking a tightrope. One quote that has stuck in my head for 
years: "Willpower is sitting in an ice cream parlor with your 
friends, drinking black coffee while everyone else eats ice cream. 
Discipline is have a small dish of ice cream and later eating less 
or doing a bit more exercise to balance out the effect of the ice 
cream."
> A bit less exotic than Eastern Philosophy 101, but that is my 
understanding. 

Hey Sheats! Where you at? :)
Most people subscribe to this view of willpower Diane, and it is 
essentially negative...Any diet which expects the Will to soley 
manifest as the ability to say no, is a negative approach. And I 
believe that this common misconception is based on lack of 
understanding of the full range of emotional/spiritual components of 
the whole person.
The examples above, the coffee shop torture scene, are very good 
arguments that will can't function on it's own. There has to be a 
plan, and then you have to execute it...but you need will to keep 
you moving towards your destiny...On a physical plane, this 
sexual/reproductive energy which creates new life, is unstoppable...
So rather than adopt that very common negative, partial 
understanding of what the role of Will in diet is...I like to think 
of it as being a very crucial component in our success which needs 
the help of other players.
To stay with the Eastern body analysis, for continuity:

The Kidneys house the Will.
The Liver is the Master Planner and controls smooth flow of Chi
The Gall Bladder is the Decision Maker and gives us Courage
The Heart houses the Shen, (or Spiritual Mind)
The Small Intestine assimilates what we need in our life...
The Spleen transforms food chi, makes the Blood, and is the seat of 
the Cogitive Mind (studying tasks, school type stuff, etc...)

Okay I have left out some major organs, the Lung, the "Lid of the 

Organs" (which houses the "Po" or Corporeal Soul, and Large 

Intestine, and I am sure everyone is wondering where the Brain fits 
in...Funny enough, as important as we believe the Brain to be, in 
Traditional Chinese Medicine it is only considered to be the "Sea of 

Chi" and both the Brain and Central Nervous System, are believed to 

be an extension of the Kidneys (remember they contain our 
essential "Jing")

So you need all of the above functions to be operating in tandem for 
a successful diet, and for that matter, a balanced life.
You need will. You need to plan. You need to have the courage to 
make a decision. You need to have your heart and soul into it, you 
need to make good choices. You need to keep accounts...this is more 
of a total functional approach. No, definitely, Will alone won't 
work.

I just see the Will as that necessary component which tells 
you "keep going forward and don't stop for anything"

I have my period today and my Will, and Mind are both temporarily 
out of order, but *will* be back very soon :)
Fortunately work is picking up nicely and at least I'm not 
depressed :)
Have a great week!
Love,
Deb