I was walking around Golden Gate Park recently, chatting with my spiritual running buddy Tricia Barrett, when Tricia piped up, “So how many apples have you eaten today.”

I had only eaten a bowl of brussels sprouts for breakfast, so I answered, “None.”

“Do you know what I mean by that question?” she asked.

I assumed it was some apple-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away reference, but wasn’t sure, so I asked her to clarify.

She said, “You know - Eve. The apple. How many times have you chosen to separate yourself from God today?”

I hadn’t really thought about it.

Tricia said, “I ate four apples today, and I can tell you exactly what they were.”

Apples to Apples

I thought about it and realized I wasn’t really keeping count. I had badmouthed someone who irritated me.  When my daughter wanted me to play with the nutcracker Santa, I made some excuse about why I couldn’t.  When my mother called me upset about something that happened over Thanksgiving, I launched straight into “fix Mom” mode without really listening.

If acting in love is what connects us to the Divine spark within, I had eaten three apples that day - at least, three I could recall off the top of my head.

I started thinking about apples, and ever since then, I’ve been much more aware of the ways in which we separate ourselves from Divine love. I’m not just talking about the 10 Commandments here, though certainly those may apply. I’m talking about the subtle things, the choices we make every day that draw us away from our highest self.

How We Separate Ourselves From The Divine

1.     Speaking badly about someone else (regardless of whether or not we’re “right”)

2.     Lashing out in anger

3.     Holding a grudge and choosing not to forgive

4.     Judging others

5.     Excessive busyness that keeps us from feeling a sense of spiritual connection

6.     Cheating

7.     Betraying a confidence

8.     Failing to nurture your body as the temple that it is (smoking, overeating, not exercising, etc)

9.     Overindulging on mind-altering substances that distance you from the Divine (drugs, alcohol, etc.)

10.  Telling a little white lie to avoid conflict or get us out of trouble

I’m sure there are many more.

We all eat apples every day, usually making excuses and rationalizations about why such behavior is okay. But what if we told ourselves the truth, not in a beat-yourself-up sort of way, but the way Tricia does?

Tricia knows how many apples she ate today, even though she’s still eating them.

Do you?

How ‘bout them apples,

Lissa

What if I told you caring for your body was the LEAST important part of your health? Watch my TEDx talk here to learn the MOST important part.

Lissa Rankin, MD: Founder of OwningPink.com, Pink Medicine Revolutionary, motivational speaker, and author of What’s Up Down There? Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend and Encaustic Art: The Complete Guide To Creating Fine Art With Wax.