When it comes to skills that are good for the soul, learning to appreciate and not have is close to the top of the list. While it's great to have desires, if we're focused on something that we know will ultimately bring us the opposite of what we want, then those are the desires we need to work on removing.

The Cookie Experiment

Let's say that you really want a chocolate chip cookie. While it makes you feel good for a second, the thoughts of what will happen if you do have it automatically start to sink in. When you're first starting to develop a healthy relationship with food, there will still be leftover thoughts that sweets are somehow more valuable than other foods. While your ultimate goal is to not be trapped into thinking this, I agree that it is the reality for when you're first starting out.

Fortunately, that's a gift to you to help you practice looking at sweets and saying "I appreciate this food, I'm going to feel how it used to make me feel and then move on."

When you're able to do this, you are gifted with a power that can escape the cycle of needing to fulfill desires that will only bring you trouble in the future.

Moving On

Once you're able to state that you don't need to have, you can move on to make a better decision. When you're feeling good about what you've just done, that positive energy will carry over to making the new healthy choice you make instead. But if you say no to the cookie and walk away grumbling and upset, whatever you choose instead is going to create negative feelings inside of you.

You must do whatever it takes to avoid feeling negative thoughts about the positive, giving foods that will bring you a long term thriving relationship with food.