Lessons Learned from Shopping Carts and Pound Plus
Because Capacity and Content Matter
Have you ever seen the two cart sizes at Trader Joe's: for children and for adults? Other stores offer less cute but practical options: a double-decker small size and full-size cart.
While I've never used the TJ's child-size cart, I did sometimes opt for the double-decker. "I'm only picking up a few things," I told myself. Wrong. Too many times I'd remember things I needed that weren't on my list, or I came across a stock-up item at a great sale price. "Ugh, I should've taken the big cart." I've run out of space too many times, so now I always get the full-size cart. It’s true what Mama always said — better to have (space) and not need.
I think the same way about my brain: I'd rather have more brain capacity and functioning than less. We now know, due to decades of research and study in the field of neuroplasticity, that the brain can change and improve.
Not only is it possible to train and strengthen our brains, it is critical: it's harder to regain cognitive functioning once lost, than it is to keep that functioning in the first place.
There are many enjoyable things we can do to keep our brains nimble. My children and I regularly play games to keep our brain juices flowing. Family favorites include:
Wordle, Strands, Connections, Tiles (New York Times Games)
Room Escape (Washington Post Game)
Sudoku.com
Having a strong and nimble brain with room for lots of thoughts is like having extra space in my shopping cart when I need it.
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As much as I love shopping at Trader Joe's, it's a dangerous venture. As soon as I walk in, darling succulent plants and beautiful fresh flowers greet me. The aisles are filled with yumminess . . . tempting Pound Plus Chocolate Bars, spicy Chili & Lime Rolled Tortilla Chips, delicious Salt and Pepper Potato Chips. (My favorite college-finals-week-treat, Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans, though, seem to have gone the way of the dodo bird.) Christmas time is even riskier with their Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe-Joes, Candy Cane Baton Wafer Cookies, and Pumpkin Spice (an add-in to my one-cup-of-the-day coffee). No, Trader Joe's did not sponsor this article.
If I had the metabolism of 20-year-old me, a wallet as deep as the Grand Canyon, and vases galore, I'd fill my adult-size cart with plants, flowers, all-of-the-above snacks, and more.
Sadly, I don't have any of those things now. (I only ever had the first.)
Now I fill my cart with sensible things: organic fruits and vegetables, uncured pastrami, sea salt. By keeping snacky foods out of my cart, I don't bring snacky things into my home. And because they aren't in my home, they don't end up in my mouth or at my waistline.
Just as I control what I put in my shopping cart, I control what I allow into my mind. As I mentioned in my last article, our thoughts come alive in our actions. If we want to become forces for good, we have to first start by controlling our thoughts.
My sagging shelves of double-deep books testify to my reading habit. Throughout this publication, I'll sprinkle in suggested reading for you of books that have helped me. Here's the first: Soundtracks by Jon Acuff, which set me on the path to change how I spoke to myself. If you read it, come back and comment on this post; tell me whether/how the book helped you.
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Academics have always been fairly easy for me. You might say that I was born with the adult-size cart of an intellectual brain. I definitely put in a ton of time into my studies, but I didn't have to work hard to grasp difficult concepts. You would think that put me on Easy Street. Nope.
I still struggled because I had the wrong mindset. I was thinking the wrong thoughts. Getting 100% on a pop quiz wasn't good enough for me - I had to get all the extra credit too. Over time, I realized that, even as a high achiever, I wasn't reaching my full potential because my thoughts were paralyzing me. I wasn't taking necessary steps forward, mainly because of fear.
Sometimes I see this approach holding my own children back: No, sweetheart. You do not need to take that math quiz a sixth time just to get 100%. Start your next lesson. I no longer demand perfection of myself or my loved ones. And because of that, we've progressed in our responsibilities and freed up time to spend on other things that make life beautiful, like painting, learning musical instruments, and writing this article for you.
The next time you go shopping, fill your cart with food good for your body. Then fill your brain with good soundtracks too.