This is a transcript of a show I did in January 2024. Information is still pertainable all year long!
Greetings and Happy Monday, everyone! May this blog post bring you what you need in the present moment. May my light exude positivity and kindness, and may my love be extended to all who could use a little extra. Asé! Let's seize the moment!
Because of my busy schedule, my blogs will start aligning with "A Monday Moment with Mal," my live-streamed episodes on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch. Check them out at the aforementioned links!
I am grateful for this very moment to be here with you. May blessings flow abundantly in your life!
Something I saw recently that's completely relatable to the today's topic came in the form of a YouTube commercial. There's a documentary called "The Secret of Water". It discusses how water is a living substance, how it plays a key role in how information is exchanged, and how it is the medium through which all nature is governed. It's the core of all living things. Since humans are made up of 70-90% water, so when I saw this clip bekiw, I knew I needed to highlight this experiment.
Take a look.
This brings me to the topic of the week. Those of you who know me know I’ve been practicing a plant-based lifestyle since 2017. So, when you heard that this episode was called “You are what you consume,” you probably assumed that I would just write about eating food that heals your body and allows it to function at its highest. And I WILL touch on it for a bit, but it’s not the overall message I want to convey today. Just like the water, what you feed your body is karmic. If you choose to eat a simple, fresh, living, and healthful diet, your body will be able to simply process food, allowing for your body to function at its highest. If you eat a highly processed diet, whether it’s trash food or vegan food, your body will have to work overtime to process the food, and in turn, the body's systems will start to wear down at a faster rate. Dis-ease lives in your body when your body when it is not able to function at its best. That’s why I always say if you change your diet, you can change your life. That’s all I’ll say about consuming food in this episode. Still, you can read my blog post entitled “Kansas City Food Spots for the NOT PLAYIN’ Vegan,” and read my previous blog entitled "Kansas City Food Spots for the’ Transitioning Vegan,” check out my presentation about plant-based dieting on my Facebook profile, and read my other blog posts about plant-based diets from last year and for the rest of Veganuary. I also suggest you watch Netflix’s newest food documentary, “You Are What You Eat,” which focuses on sets of twins, one keeping to their omnivorous diet and one adopting a plant-based diet. It’s informative and sticks to the facts. As a researcher myself, I appreciate the objectivity of documentaries. But often, even when people are presented with objective facts if it goes against their beliefs, they find a way to refute it. And because food is connected to our soul, it literally connected to our mental and emotional connection as well. People also pick up their beliefs through food… here's my theory based on what I've witnessed: when the people who raise us show us love and care with the foods they feed us, we are also apt to adopt the beliefs, morals, and values of that person. We’re not born in negativity; we’re groomed in negativity.
This brings me to my point: you are what you consume, and it's not just food. You are what you see, you are what you experience, you are what you believe, and you are what you value. I mentioned last week that it takes 28 days to create new neural pathways and over 10,000 repetitions to adopt a new idea or habit. The older we get, the longer it takes because you'll never be able to change one's life experience. So, if their life experience matches their belief, they'll double down on it.
Here's a real-life example: My son and I were at a local indoor playground on the last day of Winter Break, as we had been most of the break because I bought passes for him to go to keep him occupied. He enjoys his time there, and this time was no different. They have an indoor bounce house, and Raymond loves to jump in and run out. So, at this particular time, he was doing that while I was standing where he put me so he could run into me. Well, after about a minute, I noticed he wasn't coming out like he was, so I went to check on him. As I entered the bounce house, I saw a boy hit him. This little boy had to be around 8 or 9. So, I immediately say to him, "Don't hit him!" He proceeds to explain that Raymond scratched his little brother and was sitting on him (For context, Raymond climbs up and slides down the ladder and doesn't care who's in the way, so this likely was the scenario. Also, Raymond does scratch and even defended himself while I was standing there by scratching the little boy who was talking). So I pull Raymond into me and say, "I'm sorry that happened. Raymond has autism and doesn't speak yet, so he was just communicating the way he knows how." The little boy says, "Yeah, I know. I have one on my class." So, I asked the little brother if he was OK, and while I was checking on him, the little boy said, "I hate that Black people are so annoying to me." I said, "What did you say?" He doubled down by saying he hates Black people because they are annoying to him. I say, "That's racist". He says, "Oh, sorry, I'll cut it out." He then takes his brothers out of the bounce house. Raymond was visibly upset, so I took him to sit down while trying to process what happened. He calmed down and returned to playing afterward, but that interaction left me jaded all day.
First of all, I wasn't mad at all about the situation. The first emotion I experienced was overall sadness. Sadness for my son because he had just experienced racism for the first time that I know of but didn't understand it or have the ability to use words to defend himself. And what if I wasn't there? Had he already experienced racism, and I didn't know? I was already the parent that wasn't attached to my phone and interactive with him...the other kids' parents were nowhere around. And I can't be around him forever to monitor him everywhere. And even though my primary concern was for my son, I certainly experienced sadness for the little boy. Sadness because what messages has he consumed in his environment about Black people? If, in fact, he hated his interaction with Black people because Black people were annoying to him, what specifically did he find that was so annoying? Obviously, my son is Black, but also autistic, so was he annoyed by Raymond and the kid in his classroom that's Black and autistic because they're autistic? That's really a whole other conversation, and if that's the case, I'll never know. But what I do know is that his words evoked a mental and emotional response from me, and his words AND actions evoked a mental and emotional response from my son. The words that came out of his mouth had the power to change my thought process, my mood, and my subsequent actions. The power of words is incredibly mind-blowing.
Words create worlds, so it's incredibly important to be mindful of what we say, but also what we watch on TV, the music we listen to, the content we consume on social media, and the content we search on the internet, AND even the people we hang around.
When I taught full-time, I watched a lot of TV to decompress my brain after working all day with other people’s kids. Like a lot. I particularly loved dramas like Shonda Rhimes TV, Netflix binge-worthy shows, and the local news. When I consumed those things, even though I felt informed and was immersed in other people’s creative outlets, I was subconsciously creating a fear about living everyday life and subconsciously recreating the drama I was consuming. When my partner started making me aware of it, I couldn't see it happening, but in reflection, I can certainly see what was happening.
Regarding people, the proverb "Birds of a feather flock together" is big facts! We tend to gravitate to people who reflect who we are and where we are in life. If you look at your friend circle and don't like what you see, switch it up with love! Love them where they are and make your reality align with what you want for yourself. I've had to do that for me, and others have dropped me out of their lives. For some, I can be a lot to handle, and in true Venus in Leo/Leo/Sagittarius fashion, I am self-centered and self-focused with a strong opinion. And it’s caused me to lose friends along the way, and I know what happened. All I can do is vow to be better as I move through the rest of my life. I see others on my social media vowing to prioritize themselves in 2024. That’s a great idea!
And to the point of the Internet, three things I find myself always telling my students is that you should question everything, you should research all sides of an issue, and master the ability to discern if you're reading or listening to an objective fact or someone's opinion that's laced with so much emotion that it's passed off as a fact when it's really an opinion. Many people don’t possess these critical thinking skills, so there are many radicals in their feelings, passing their feelings off as facts instead of passing the actual facts off as facts. The internet is an informative and necessary space, but it should also be used cautiously. We MUST be critical thinkers!
Ultimately, the words of love and gratitude and negative words can change the shape of water molecules, and living things, including humans, are mostly water. Words literally change the shape of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual vessels! So, we have to be careful with the thoughts we think and the actual words we speak. You can literally be praying, meditating, and manifesting negativity, fear, and scarcity into your life.
What are you currently consuming that you’re giving up because it doesn’t serve your best interest? This certainly takes some self-reflection on your part, so this is something that you can maybe journal about. I’ve found journaling to be a great way to visualize your thoughts. I’ve been putting pen to paper lately, but my Apple Notes are filled with my thoughts!
Do you find that you are stuck in a rut? Try reading self-help books, researching positive quotes, or finding educational resources on personal growth. A book that I’ve read recently is Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. It’s not a light read; you have to read it when your soul is ready. Your mind has to be open to inhaling it. I also listen to a lot of podcasts. I particularly enjoy listening to The R Spot by Iyanla Vanzant, Next Level Soul with Alex Ferrari, Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Where Should We Begin by Esther Perel, Lovers and Friends by Shan Boodram, and Even Me by Dr. Cherlisa Jackson.
And to wrap up, I’ll leave you with a quote and affirmations:
⬆️This goes for physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional 'foods.'
Well, that's all for me this week! Tune in next week for a show entitled “Presenting Dr. Mal.”
Until then, love and peace to all of you! Have the best week!
Alexa, play “Changes” by Justin Bieber. Changing sometimes feels like exactly what he’s singing!
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