Dieting

Nearly everyone tries to diet at least once in their life. Some try it once a week. We hear the message so many times that we eventually break. What’s the message? Something that amounts to: “You are what you eat.” Suddenly we face an existential crisis as we worry that we are becoming a Lollipop Kid. The message can even be put in spiritual terms: treat your body like the Temple of God. Yet, the message does not convert into real change.

The problem is not that we need to learn more about how to lose weight. We have all the information that we need. Sure, sometimes we hear conflicting messages: Eggs are cholesterol bombs! Eggs are a great source of protein! But, for the most part, we know when we are eating the wrong things. Unfortunately, all that knowledge translates into very little lifestyle change. Even if we discipline ourselves and do eat a little bit healthier, we often still don’t lose any weight because we continue to eat too much.

Why do we lack discipline in our eating patterns? I think there are two psychological keys to being able to resist the temptation of unhealthy eating: (1) Having a good support system and (2) Shutting off auto-pilot eating. For right now, I want to skip the support system issue, since it is always a good idea to have support in the things you take on. Instead, I want to focus more on the second point – how to turn off the auto-pilot. In my next two blogs, I want to introduce the idea of “mindful” eating at a basic level and then I will discuss how mindful eating can actually make eating a more satisfying experience.200

Imitation

Did you know that one of the great things that make humans unique is our ability to imitate? Sure, other animals can imitate sounds (like parrots), basic movements (like apes), and songs (like whales), but humans take imitation to a whole different level.

Children learn how to talk on phones, put on make-up, and even to misbehave by imitating adults and other children. And we don’t finish imitating when we reach grade school. To become musicians we imitate Mozart, to become physicists we imitate Einstein, and to become chess grandmasters we imitate Kasparorov.

Being natural born imitators means that we have a responsibility to find the right person to model ourselves after.

No wonder Paul encouraged the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” Paul knew that the Corinthians needed someone holy to imitate, so that they might be more like Christ. Sometimes we need to look for that sort of person, who is actively imitating Christ and whom we may imitate in turn.

Look around you. Perhaps you know someone with a loving spirit and strong character. Pray that you might be more like him or her.

Dr. Curtis Lehmann

OC Christian Counseling

Breathe

Pause a second and pay attention to your breath. You are breathing every minute of your life and yet, most of the time, you don’t even notice. As you notice your breath right now, thank God for giving you that particular breath, allowing you to live.

There is also a spiritual practice that you can utilize any moment you become aware of your breath. As you exhale, simply confess your dependence upon God and any sin that is troubling you. Then, as you inhale, accept God’s forgiveness and allow God’s spirit to come into your mind, heart, and soul. Breathe in. Breathe out. Be thankful.

Dr. Curtis Lehmann

OC Christian Counseling

Inviting God Into the Moment

Right now, I would like you to take a minute to focus on what is around you, something other than this glowing screen. Perhaps you might see something new. Invite God into this moment. Ask God what He wants you to notice around you. Pray about what you see around you, even if the object seems trivial, and see what this opens up.

You may start praying about a water bottle but then finding yourself thanking God for clean water and praying for those who lack access. Simply tell God whatever grabs your attention and ask him to speak to you through that object. You may be surprised to find God can speak to you through even the most mundane things in your life.

Being Present

Have you been spending your day rushing from one thing to another? Sometimes we tend to fly through life so quickly that we hardly notice we are missing wonderful things. In the next few days, I would like to lead you in a few meditations meant to help you reawaken your awareness to the world you live in.

Look for the nearest window. Open the blinds or actually step outside if you need to or want to. Focus on something natural, something alive. It might be a flower, a tree, a bird, or even just the grass. Allow yourself to marvel at God’s creation. Imagine God creating that life with a stroke of a brush or with a sculptor’s chisel against clay. Notice any so-called imperfections in that life. Then notice how even the imperfections can be beautiful. You may even want to thank God for bringing that life to your attention. For the rest of your day, see if you can notice God’s creation this way again.

Dr. Curtis Lehmann

http://occhristiancounseling.com/staff/dr_curtis_lehmann.html

Virtually Attend my Dissertation Defense

If you are interested in virtually attending my dissertation final oral examination, you can attend by signing up here. The meeting will begin at 8AM (Pacific).

Reasoned Action and Conversion

My dissertation has been focused on understanding how spirituality affects how we decide to engage in moral and immoral behaviors. The model I am using for this relationship is the Theory of Reasoned Action. Reasoned Action states that behavioral intentions are the result of two main influences: personal beliefs and social norms. Personal beliefs are related to what we believe about the behavior: is it enjoyable, is it instrumental for something else, and is it moral? Social norms include what we think other people want us to do and what other people actually do.

I have been wondering how Reasoned Action could be applied to religious conversion. When a person thinks about changing their religious convictions (or lack thereof), what influences are important for them? Here are some possibilities, based on this theory:

Attitudes: people convert because they think it will be enjoyable, pleasant, and maybe even fun to be a different religion.

Instrumental Beliefs: converting will help them accomplish some goal in their life, such as quitting alcohol or raising good religious children.

Moral Values: conversion is important because it is the "right" thing to do, because it is God's will and because it is true

Descriptive social norms: converting is attractive because a lot of their friends are that religion or have just converted, their example is influential

Injunctive social norms: the person believes that their friends and other influential people in their lives want them to convert (regardless of their own faith)

Perceived control (an aspect of Planned Behavior, not Reasoned Action): the person believes that it is possible for them to convert, that they could live a new life.

As you can imagine, all of these dimensions will likely be important influences on why a person converts. Two questions emerge: which of these are most important to the person who converts? And which of these reasons are acceptable to the religion as a reason to convert.

For the first question, this could suggest possibilities for ways to help people convert. If it is Attitudes that is foremost, then how do make the religion appear more enjoyable? If it is Injunctive Social Norms, then obviously sharing faith will be an important facet for helping people convert. But this brings us to the second question, what are the preferable reasons for conversion?

I think it is likely that religious clergy would want people to convert out of their moral values, a belief that it is true and good. But what if a person wants to convert so that they can meet dateable men or women? Obviously, some religious traditions would care more about intentions than others. If we "sell" a religion based upon Attitudes, then do people actually internalize their faith? If we pressure people to convert by sharing our faith with them regularly, does this create the type of faith that we hope for?

These questions are complex. Maybe I will be able to read up on any previous research in this area... or maybe even do some of my own research. Any thoughts or comments?