Friday, February 24, 2006

Challenging Our Habits

Sorry for the inconsitent posts this week. I've been at trainings all day for the last two days. I'm beginning to feel as if someone used me as a punching bag. The trainings were about an hour and a half from my house. I chose to drive both days rather than stay at the hotel because there was no way I'd spend as much in gas as I would in hotel expenses.

I'm sure no one is shocked to hear that I brought my lunch and snacks both days. The trainings always provide a morning snack and coffee or tea. In the afternoon coffee and tea is still available. Water and candy are available throughout the day.(I can't figure out why they give candy but they do, every year!)

Despite this, many people went out to buy coffee. I just can't figure it out. It wasn't as if they were serving Sanka, it was really good coffee. People also bought water bottles through the day. We had giant pitchers of ice water in each conference room on every table but very few people thought to refill rather than buy.

When I mentioned this to someone in the training with me, her face lit up. "I never thought of it," she said and promptly refilled her water bottle. I think sometimes we just need to stop doing things habitually and explore the options that exist around us.

2 comments:

Mindy T. said...

Hi Katie. Challenging our habits -- what an important topic. Food habits are probably some of the most difficult to change.

I'm happy to say I've been on the vegetarian path for a lot while. It feels perfectly normal to NOT eat hamburgers and donuts and diet sodas and margarine and a bunch of other things that are daily habits for some people. I feel fortunate that I got the spark about healthy eating ignited somewhere along the line...

I write lacto-ovo and vegan cookbooks, trying to keep myself and others inspired about all the creative possibilities of the vegetarian diet. Please come visit at mindycooks.blogspot.com and leave me a comment or two.

By the way, we also have the frugal attitude in common. I do about 90% of my shopping (especially clothing and household stuff) at thrift stores. Can't understand why people are willing to pay full retail!

Blessings and bon appetit!

Katie said...

Hi Mindy,

I agree, food habits have so much attached to them emotionally it makes it very hard to even consider change. At the same time, once change is accomplished you wonder how you ever ate a burger in the first place.

I can't wait to check out your blog.