Our Food Choices Matter: Choose with Intention, Live with Purpose

You might have heard me say before that I truly believe each of us is born with innate values that help make the world a better place. I believe that things like honesty and fairness come naturally to each of us.

I also believe that, alongside these values, we have a responsibility to ensure our actions align with what we believe. I call this the idea of living with purpose.

There are two quotes I really like around the concept of living with purpose.

First, from Margaret Meade: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

Second, from Mother Teresa “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

Now, these quotes are beautiful and even inspirational! But when it comes down to integrating them into your everyday life, you might be thinking: how? How can I become a “thoughtful committed citizen” who does small things with great love?

What you’re really asking here is how do I live with purpose, and my answer (which will probably not surprise you) is that we do this through mindful awareness of our values.

When we deeply understand what we value, it becomes easier to align our actions and our goals with these values. This alignment ensures that what fulfills us and brings our own families joy and peace also has a positive impact on our communities and contributes to the good of the world.

How Does Mindfulness Come In?

If you're new to the MMK Method, you might wonder, "What role does mindfulness play?"

After thinking about why it's important to live with purpose and make sure our actions match our values, it's normal to wonder how we can actually do this in our everyday routines. This is where mindfulness emerges as a powerful tool for transformation. 

But the truth is, simply understanding something deeply often isn't sufficient to bring about change. We need to bridge the gap between intention and action. This is where mindfulness comes into play – it provides for us the conscious awareness of the present moment. Embracing this awareness empowers us to make choices aligned with the profound love we aim to share with the world.

Once we truly apply mindful awareness to everything we do, it becomes clear how deeply it can impact our food choices for the better. For example, if we practice mindful awareness while we build our shopping lists and meal plans, we begin to clearly understand how to buy food in a way that prevents food waste in the first place.

If we practice mindful awareness while we prepare our food, and perhaps even invite our children to participate in preparation alongside us, we lead by example and have the opportunity to pass on good values to them. These values can include things like mindfulness, gratitude, and a deeper connection to the food they eat and teamwork. 

Let’s go one step further: mindful awareness, and knowing that our food choices matter, is a way that each of us can make the world a better place. Just for starters, you might:

Choose Locally Sourced Foods: Opt for foods that are locally sourced and support regional farms and producers. By doing so, you reduce the environmental impact of transportation and support local economies.

Cultivate Thankfulness at the Table: Inspire children to cultivate gratitude for their meals by sparking conversations about the journey of their food – from its origins to the hands that nurture it. Encourage them to savor every bite, reflecting on the vibrant flavors, delightful textures, and vivid colors that nourish both body and soul. Through mindful reflection, we awaken a deep appreciation for the abundance that surrounds us with each meal.

Support Sustainable Practices: Choose foods from companies and brands that prioritize sustainable practices, such as organic farming, fair labor practices, and environmentally friendly packaging. Your purchasing decisions can influence the food industry to adopt more sustainable methods.

This is the magic of mindfulness: just by paying careful attention, we’ve shifted from valuing something to practicing it.

Now we’re living with purpose. 🙂