The secret to self control | Jonathan Bricker | TEDxRainier

For one

self

it is giving up

control

. Because otherwise, it is going to war with a monster, a monster of desires. And the lust monster says, "Come on, smoke a cigarette. Come on, eat that cookie. Come on!" On the other hand, it occurs to you: “No, wish monster, I will stay away from you, I will ignore you, no, no, no.” And the lust monster responds, "No, no, come on, I know you want it!" At this point, you try again and again, and soon the wish monster will defeat you. You eat that cookie, you smoke that cigarette, until the wish monster returns.

Now you are once again in an internecine war, doing what we learned to do. Until... until you give up. What you will discover is that if you allow the monster to exist, to occupy the space of your body, you will discover after a few minutes that this monster is not as threatening as it seems. Sometimes it disappears. Now that lunchtime is approaching, we will have options for what to eat. (Laughter) When you see them, try to be aware of the cravings that are hiding in your body, try to be willing to feel those cravings. Let's see if it disappears on its own.

Whatever you choose, try to bring to your

self

a spirit of caring and compassion, because that is the mountain we are all climbing. Thank you very much (Applause)