“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV
Recently, my son’s high school football team stopped at a restaurant to feed the players before their second-round playoff game. They had a long journey across the state and what better way to feed a high school football team than the infamous Golden Corral. What boy does not love “GC?” The pickiest of kids can find something they like there, and they can gorge themselves accordingly. Here, a teenage boy can eat his bodyweight by simultaneously scarfing down all his top fifteen favorite meals. When I was a boy and my parents asked where we wanted to eat on a special occasion, my brother and I always picked Western Sizzlin or the “Corral.” After a while, my parents stopped asking and just drove straight there.
I realized I have failed as a father because I have never taken my own sons to any of these overindulging eating establishments. Saturday, as my oldest son enthusiastically explained his buffet experience, I recalled my old personal buffet protocol. I always started with a huge plate, not bowl, of salad with everything on it. Then, I went back for my first of at least two plates of entrees and as many sides as I could fit. If something did not fall to the floor as I walked back to the table, then I knew I did not do a good enough job of the 3 P’s: plate-piling-placement. Of course, the first sign of feeling like you could vomit, meant that it was time for soft-serve ice cream topped with gummy bears. “Gross!” What was I thinking?
My son told me that the first thing he saw at the front of the line was his all-time favorite; spaghetti! He piled his plate. As he turned the corner, he then saw the rest of the buffet with tons of choices of food. He told his friend, “I didn’t know they had all that! I don’t have room for anything else on my plate.” His friend then, most likely without even knowing it, gave him one of the greatest life lessons he may ever receive. He said,
“Listen. You have to learn how to eat at a buffet. Everyone knows they put all the filler food up at the front. Filler food is stuff that fills you up so you won’t eat as much of the good stuff. That’s how they get you.”
Now, I must give my wife the credit for connecting the dots on this lesson. This morning, I read through my list of upcoming Weekly Whetstone topics and asked her advice on which one I should write next. She agreed on one, then I said, “Hey. Side note. Listen to this funny story.” Then I told her what our son’s friend told him at the buffet. She then said, “That’s what you should write about. That’s a great life lesson.” I had a puzzled look on my face then the light bulb came on. I ran upstairs to write. Thanks Babe! My mind was blown. I guess I was not looking for such profound wisdom from a high school boy’s thought on buffet eating.
Filler Food
You are only allotted so many minutes each day. How do you spend those minutes? Do you begin consuming filler food as soon as you get up? What is filler food? In the buffet of life, it is so tempting to take the easy route of filling our plates with the first thing we see. Usually, that is the filler food. It is our phone, social media full of other people’s lives and opinions, the television, cable news, cable news and more cable news. I’m sure, like me, the light bulb is coming on over your head. I probably do not need to go much deeper at this point (although you know I will)…you get the lesson!
Do you begin your day comparing your life to others you see on social media?
Do you spend more time watching television than you do on reading or having creative time?
Do you stay up late for unproductive reasons and then sleep in late?
Do you use your downtime escaping reality with alcohol, drugs, pornography, video games, tv, movies, or various other things?
Do you obsess over your favorite cable news channel and take everything they tell you as fact? FILLER FOOD!!!
Is your plate already full? Have you used the 3 P’s on filler food before you ever even got to the “good stuff?”
The “Good Stuff”
My son’s friend and teammate said it best when he called it the “good stuff.” The good stuff is anything that takes you closer to where you want to be. For me, if something makes me a better husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend, writer, entrepreneur, and leader, then it is the good stuff. I want my plate filled with those things. Its okay to have some filler food. I need some filler food. But not until I know that there is enough room for the good stuff. The good stuff may look a little different for each of us. Mine may be a medium well steak while yours may be grilled chicken breast. Either way, our plate is being filled with something of nourishment and value.
If you have been following me, then you know I have put a lot of emphasis toward men to spend more time being creative, reading, playing, coaching, leading, communicating, engaging, etc. These are all universal “good stuff.” These are things that will assist you in being a better man in all aspects of your life. Try something new today. Skip past the filler food at the front of the line. Go find the “good stuff” and start there first. Then come back, and if there is some room on your plate, then scoop a little filler food. I guarantee you will feel better at the end of the day. Begin forming a habit of being mindful and intentional about how you are filling your plate.
Men, you knew this wasn’t really going to be about how to eat at a buffet. Ha!
