How I became captain of my destiny

Learning to say "yes" to health

This is my second Substack column, and I’m already leaving all vegetables behind. Don’t worry; they will be back on the menu soon.

That’s because I had a special request from a friend. She wanted to know if I had any dessert recipes.

A month ago, I couldn’t imagine giving up sourdough bread, decaf coffee with foamy milk, strong tea with raw sugar and milk, bowls of creamy Greek yogurt topped with berries, granola, and raw honey, or an occasional sweet treat.

Now, I don’t miss gluten, sugar, dairy, caffeine, or alcohol. How did that happen?

My spiritual teacher, who happened to be my maternal uncle, was always talking about the importance of training the mind. My uncle was a very calm and compassionate man. He faced life’s disappointments with a tranquil attitude. When people disparaged his character or were angry with him, he didn’t yell or shout back. He possessed a tremendous amount of forgiveness. This ability to remain unattached to the physical world is one of the pillars of Hinduism. My uncle also touted the benefits of sensory training. He would say that we were training our minds and senses every time we refrained from accepting a second piece of cherry pie or eating a third piece of pizza.

Not adding sugar to our coffee or tea is not depriving ourselves; instead, we are choosing to say yes to health. Making healthy choices gives us incredible power. We are no longer dependent on caffeine or alcohol, and with this comes a sense of personal empowerment.

I’ve become the captain of my destiny. I can control what goes into my body, and yes, this makes me feel super powerful.