We've all been there. You offer someone something, whether it be a dessert or something that might not be the healthiest food for you, and they reply with "no thanks, I'm trying to be good." I'm sure you've said it and if you haven't, you've heard an adult in your life, a friend, a co-worker or someone utter those words. When we hear that, we all know what it means. They're trying to eat healthier food. They might be dieting or just watching what they eat, and that is totally respectable. But why do we associate being good with not eating a certain type of food or having a snack at work?
Is eating a cookie really being all that bad?
We should look at fueling our bodies as just that — fueling our bodies. Some people need a sweet snack throughout the day, and some people really need tacos in their life. News flash: that's OK. Being good shouldn't relate to depriving yourself of something that you want. If you don't want it don't have it, that's totally fine. And if you want it, then go for it because that's totally fine too. In all honesty, I think there are better ways to use the phrase "I'm trying to be good." And here's a few.
Say you're trying to be good when you're trying to cut out negativity in your life. Maybe it's you complaining less about work or maybe it's you not speaking as many negative words into the world about a situation you might be in. Maybe being good or being better should relate to not speaking negatively about people around you. It could be about trying to have a more positive outlook about any situation you might be in.
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Being good could mean that you're trying harder to be more productive at work. Maybe that means instead of hanging out with co-workers or taking longer lunches, you're trying to be good about getting more work done day-to-day so that you don't have to think about it while you're at home.
It could mean that you're trying to be more active throughout the day. Maybe being good means that instead of binge-watching TV at night, you take a walk or you go for a run.
There are so many areas in our lives that we want to improve and that we can work to improve. There are so many ways that people, in general, can be better — kinder to each other, more knowledgeable about the world we live in, helping those around us, how we relate to others — that saying I'm trying to be good as it related to food is kind of silly. It's all right to have that cookie. It's OK to not have that cookie. But whether you have the cookie or not, doesn't define if you're a good person or if you're being a better person.