Taco Bell, the Mexican fast-food franchise, has a new ad campaign focusing on the slogan, "Get full." The commercials show people ecstatically announcing that they are full--thanks, of course, to the huge value meals now available at Taco Bell.
We know that feeling full isn't simply a matter of building a bigger, better burrito. There's a whole lotta emptiness going on, and it's not always filled by what we put into our bellies.
The search for connection, for meaning, for love--these are longings not met by the bags we pick up at the drive-thru window. To feel full in the truest sense, we must figure out what we are lacking in our lives. We're not always mindful of this quest.
Seeking satisfaction in activity? That can work. Be honest here--is your time spent actively avoiding emptiness or actively seeking fullness? These are two different things. If you find yourself with a full calendar and an empty heart, you're bathing yourself in distraction, and sooner or later, that's going to plug up your bathtub.
Being full doesn't mean you're packed with positive thoughts and emotions all the time. We need the whole enchilada to help us develop as caring, compassionate humans, and sometimes that means we are full of frustration, sadness or despair.
Hey, it still counts as being full! You're a vessel, and you should be continually filled, but not necessarily consistently filled with the same stuff. It's the emptying and filling that keeps things interesting.
"A full cup must be carried steadily."--English proverb
Getting spilled is part of life. What are you doing to spill yourself...and what are you doing to get filled up again?
Spend time this week contemplating the concept of fullness. Be mindful of opportunities to notice when you are feeling depleted or overflowing.
Concentrate on paying attention to thoughts, emotions, stories, people, places and activities that make you feel full, and practice saying, "This is full" whenever you notice it.
Good full or bad full--don't judge that. Just be mindful of that sense of fullness wherever you feel it.
Taco Bell entices people to "get full" and this is good advice. But skip the "full-on value meal" and concentrate instead on your own fullness whenever you see an ad or drive by a Taco Bell.
Ask this: Am I full? What is filling me right now?
Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Stir things up and start again.
That's a recipe for full-on living.
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse offering specialized mindfulness training in Portland, Oregon. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 100 countries. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.massageyourmind.com
Now, I will recount in full what happened to me... Read More
Many of you come to this site because you are... Read More
Matthew 3:1-3 The Preaching of John the Baptist1 In those... Read More
Natural laws exist that serve to maintain order in the... Read More
Action dakini gets everything done. When wanting and grasping hold... Read More
When I first heard Donnie McClurkin's song, "We Fall Down... Read More
Existence of God: facts and figures Does God exist?If you... Read More
What the Animals Tell Us"I am the Sun's son. I... Read More
Adam had it right when he covered himself with fig... Read More
Do you ever wonder about the other "YOU ?"The one... Read More
Billy Graham once said, "Being a Christian is more than... Read More
Those living on the highest levels of life have learned... Read More
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on... Read More
It is so obvious that God works and thinks on... Read More
I am deeply drawn to the above Irish Blessing.This blessing... Read More
I have, in my opinion, the world's perfect job. Just... Read More
To find out how psychic you are, try answering the... Read More
The Mind in an Advanced Thought System:The center of our... Read More
There's a lot of talk in meditation circles about emptying... Read More
There was this TV commercial a couple of years back... Read More
Several months ago, I read an... Read More
My mentor, a brilliant Ph.D, with a powerful marriage counseling... Read More
"Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line... Read More
In the last 2 weeks or so, I have been... Read More
Prior to the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United... Read More
Enlightenment can come in an instant or it may take... Read More
You can't help but feel a sense of electricity in... Read More
Observations from the Town Car... "Home James!"The bulk of driving... Read More
Being critical of Buddhism isn't easy.Buddhism is the most likable... Read More
Before Donna was born she took with her a dollar,... Read More
Life is full of ups and downs, trials, and tribulations.... Read More
Do you have a servant's heart? Has God blessed you... Read More
Over the past years, I have undergone a life-altering transition... Read More
For me, the best poetry stirs my soul; it awakens... Read More
I have a confession.I used to have doubts about God's... Read More
Oceans... There's water in 'em! :-)It may seem a bit... Read More
I am going to remind of some simple, yet important... Read More
We know that David did much to stabilize the Kingdom... Read More
There is an inherent generosity in the human spirit to... Read More
It's real easy to look at the physical world around... Read More
Ecclesiasts 5:18 Then I realized that it is good and... Read More
INTRODUCTIONSpiritual affirmations are positive, statements of intention, that facilitate manifestation.... Read More
"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure,... Read More
While I do hope to avoid arguing the merits or... Read More
One cannot ask why bad things happen to good people... Read More
Christians all over the world will all be tempted in... Read More
Malice is a great enemy to mankind. It is evil... Read More
In the last 2 weeks or so, I have been... Read More
"This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as... Read More
Why do bad things happen to good people? Surely this... Read More
Many consider anger a normal human emotion and continue to... Read More
Last week, I sat at my computer and watched the... Read More
One important factor in how we go through life is... Read More
The first hymn of Isha Upanishad says - whatever living... Read More
Irish myth has the power to transform your life into... Read More
The following fragment was found in Qumran along with the... Read More
Once you become saved and born again, the Bible tells... Read More
In my yard are quarter-circles of grass growing taller than... Read More
What is a Christian? According to The American HeritageŽ Dictionary... Read More
Many of you already own several lucky charms or talismans.... Read More
Today I was in rather a whimsical mood, and so... Read More
In his book, Stress Without Distress, Dr. Selye suggests that... Read More
Burn out, it can happen to anyone. Some of the... Read More
My thoughts can get a little edgy at night. Possibly... Read More
As communion was being passed this morning, I listened to... Read More
To many people in the Western world Metaphysical Healing is... Read More
Spirituality |