SALT

THE VERDE WORD

This week's article is about salt in it's various forms and how we may use it as an example to conduct our mental and physical lives sparingly.

As I was saying in my last post entitled 'Oh Celery...'  we as human, animals and others would not survive without food.  I was also saying that food tastes so much better if we put some admiration and appreciative thought towards it.  However, as celery or courgettes or any other food may taste wonderful, in order to provide new flavours, aromas and interest to food, we also add spices and herbs.  So, although this article has Salt as the focal point, it is another example of common daily practises that  we may use salt as an analogy in our personal lives.

There are many types, styles and uses for salt.
There is pouring salt both with iodine and without, there is sprinkling salt, salt flakes, salt rocks that also may be bought smoked or unsmoked, and even pink rock salt from the Himalayas.

Three examples of Pink Himalayan salt: sprinkling salt, salt flakes and salt rocks. 

We may include salt whilst cooking or spread and sprinkle on our food afterwards.

Sparingly casting very fine pouring salt over meals helps to add flavour and taste that may be missing.  Alternatively, small flakes or chunks rock salt may also be cast over the food.  The difference is, do you want the taste of salt throughout your meal or, having the infrequent crunch and taste that adds occasional bits that add a sudden burst of surprise, interest and pleasure and perhaps, a more memorable occasion and meal?

Life is like this, infrequently experiencing occasional bits of everything is more pleasurable than having it all the time, because by having it all the time it becomes expected, the novelty is lost.  It also may not be looked forward to as much because it is habit and, by having it all the time you get used to things and the flavour and do not notice the subtle nuances.

We, in our lives are similar when dealing with family or personal events, issues and problems.

As a parent we know we wear ourselves thin.   We try to look after babies, small children, teenagers, older youth, husbands, wives, lovers, grandparents and other family members and friends.  On top of this, we hold down part or full time jobs, attend university or college also part or full time, whilst attempting to look and care for everyone in the immediate and not so immediate family.

We run here and there, are on the phone, communicating with everyone trying to ensure all their needs are looked after.

In effect, to use the salt on food analogy, to those around you, are you the salt sprinkled all over the food, the  salt flakes with a less dispersed flavour or, the rock salt with the occasional crunch?

If you are the sprinkled salt, you can cover all situations and problems all the time, but the input of your time is sparing and may have less of an effect and following, achieving less of an impact and positive outcome for those you are trying to look after.  In contrast, if you are the rock salt, you can only cover some of the situations but your efforts are more intense and drain your mental and physical energies however, it has a higher possibility for a positive outcome for others, not so much you.

However, if you choose to be the salt flakes and take the middle line, you are able to be more effective because you are less spread around and also less hit and miss, as per the rock salt.

Consider looking at situations and judge which folks around you need the most immediate attention, assistance and care. Then tackle everyone on an as needs priority basis.

Everyone can be taken care of, but it is not necessary to need to know the whole story about everyone, or continual updates, instead, just look after the main issue but make yourself available on a 'just in case things get worse' basis.  

By minimising the amount of time, effort, energy and angst, not to mention all the hours spent in bed at night worrying about everyone, after a good nights sleep, you will be in a much better physical and mental place to look after all those you love and still continue your daily functions and requirements such as work an study and, whatever else.

So, are you pouring salt all over and doing a less than perfect job, or sprinkling rock salts hoping to hit randomly and help those folks, or, casting your salt flakes with evaluated targets with the object of prioritising to help the most needy?

It is impossible to help everyone and be on top of what is happening. Look after yourself first, otherwise your health and well being will suffer.  By placing your own personal health and well being at risk and becoming ill through doing or worrying too much, you will end up helping no one. 

Moral:  Use your physical and mental energies like salt flakes.

Verde

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