Over the last few years I’ve implemented intermittent
fasting into my nutrition plan. Each day I typically fast for 16-20 hours with
the occasional 24 hour or 40 hour fast. I have noticed that as long as my insulin
levels are stable, I don’t get that hungry during the fasting portions of the
day. However, once I take in that first meal, I find it challenging to be satiated
initially, especially if it’s following a tough leg workout. It’s almost as if
while I am fasting, my body has learned to ignore that urge, but once I feed
it, the desire for food is turned back on.
Learning is much the same way. If you have been out of the habit
of learning and growing as an individual, that thirst remains quenched and the
desire to be stretched is quieted. It’s like the mind has resolved itself to
remain in its current state. But once you start “feeding” it, the hunger is triggered.
As you challenge yourself with new knowledge and skills, your mind will start
asking for more. As your mental capacity is stretched, your brain will start to
yearn for even more stimulation. In this way, learning and self-education can
almost be addicting (Spoken like a true nerd, I know. Don’t judge me.)
A starvation victim loses his appetite if he has been
without food long enough. Your mind works the same way. So, in order to build momentum,
this process often needs a catalyst. You may not feel like being challenged.
You may not feel like starting from the bottom and learning a new task. You may
not feel like picking up a book and reading. You may not feel like being
stretched. Just start and let the feelings catch up. Start feeding your brain
and psyche and, after a while, it will start asking for it. It may even demand
it. But you must take the step and begin nourishing your mind first.
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