Don’t Feed What You Don’t Want to Grow

Are you tired of feeling anxious? Stop feeding your anxiety.

Are you tired of feeling angry? Stop feeding your anger.

Are you tired of feeling arrogant? Stop feeding your arrogance.

Don’t feed what you don’t want to grow. We are empowered to do something about the negative things in our world…we can simply stop feeding them. It is a basic but profound principle that allows us to step out of the negativity, reallocate our energies, and live radically different lives. We are not required to participate in the destructive patterns of this world. We are not required to add to the noise, chaos, and confusion. We are not required to fuel the systems that dominate, control, and enslave our culture.

Don’t feed what you don’t want to grow.

I understand that this type of empowerment may seem confusing. We are conditioned to believe that we are victims. When we take on a victim mindset, we abdicate responsibility for our emotions, thoughts, and actions. We genuinely feel powerless when we do not properly steward the power that we have. The feeling is real, but it is not based in reality. Actual reality is that we do have a high degree of control over our emotions, thoughts, and actions.

*Disclaimer – obviously there are mental, psychological, and emotional illnesses that require treatment and may never be resolved. It is important to differentiate between temporary feelings and more permanent disorders. For instance…I can feel nervous about certain situations because of negative past experiences, but that does not mean that I have PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an actual diagnosis for people who suffer greatly from their traumatic pasts. I can feel occasionally strong compulsions, but that does not mean that I have OCD. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a debilitating illness. Most people have more power over their thoughts and feelings than they realize, but there are extreme circumstances where people have little to no control. It is important to refrain from labeling ourselves with limitations we do not have.

If you don’t want to feel anxious, stop feeding your anxiety. Stop watching hours of news each day. News channels are designed to keep you watching by feeding your anxieties. Stop endlessly scrolling through news apps and social media. Stop looking for “bad news” to feed your anxieties. Instead, fill your mind with good news. Read scripture, pray, meditate, listen to music, and exercise.

If you don’t want to feel angry, stop feeding your anger. Pay attention to things that stir up anger inside of you and disengage from those activities. Recognize angry rhetoric and refuse to consume it. Stop watching things that glorify vengeance and war. Just because someone challenges you to a fight doesn’t mean that you are obligated to engage. Think positively about people. Assume the best. Give the benefit of the doubt. Treat other people the way you want to be treated. Give yourself a timeout…count to ten so that you can give a gracious response instead of an angry reaction, get a good night’s sleep before responding to a challenging text, or wait 24-hours before replying to a combative email.

If you don’t want to feel arrogant, stop feeding your arrogance. Stop consuming things that promote the notion that you are the center of the universe. If the messaging is that it is all about you…your life, your dreams, your desires, your needs…it is feeding your arrogance. The more self-centered we become, the more isolated we become. Arrogance is a pathway to loneliness. Contextualize everything in terms of community. Instead of only caring about how something impacts you, consider how it impacts everyone. Our world pushes us towards arrogance by feeding us the lie that we should only care about ourselves. Look out for the interests of others and humbly serve your world.

Don’t feed what you don’t want to grow.

If you don’t want your world to be negative, stop feeding negativity.

If you don’t want your world to be cruel, stop feeding cruelty.

If you don’t want your world to be lonely, stop feeding loneliness.

The list goes on and on. Don’t feed what you don’t want to grow.