The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

人生最大的荣耀不在于从不跌倒，而在于每次跌倒后都能爬起来。

How can you regain your appetite for life?

Slow down a little – and savour everything

如何重拾对生活的热情？放慢脚步，细细品味一切

1

Until recently, most evenings, after my toddler had finally fallen asleep, I would flop on the sofa, turn on Netflix, and watch episode after episode until either my exhaustion or my husband would call time on this pitiful sight. Turning the television off, I’d experience a surge of self-disgust at how dry my eyes felt, and disappointment that the whole evening had disappeared. I would be momentarily stunned by my re-entry into a world in which there were no socially-awkward-but-brilliant private detectives, just a dishwasher that needed loading and a child who would be waking all too soon. I felt crushed by this return to my life (which was odd, because I am fortunate enough to like my life, most of the time).

I started to think more about what was happening as I turned the TV on and my mind turned off – why I would plan to watch just one episode, but when I came to the end of it, I’d find myself unable to stop. It was as if I had no space in my mind to make any other choice; I was gobbling up episodes without digesting them, without even chewing them over, swallowing each one whole.

There is a way of consuming TV, and perhaps everything, that makes it very difficult to feel what the “right amount” is, because it is more about getting away from something, rather than digesting something. Of course, we all need a little escapism every now and then. But if we escape ourselves completely, and for too long, we can lose touch with the ordinary, deeply meaningful moments of our day-to-day lives, such as cooking a nice meal for dinner. Butter is also the story of a woman who discovers her appetite – and not for food alone – after making herself a delicious dinner of rice with butter and soy sauce. I have been salivating for that meal ever since reading that passage, but I have not yet made it for myself. Why not?

Between my child and my job and my quirky detective TV shows, I have not been very good at cooking. Eating has come to feel like something I do to survive, rather than something I enjoy. I’ve lost my appetite – not in the sense of not being hungry, but in the sense of losing contact with a part of myself; my appetite for life.Recently, I decided to have a night off from watching TV. I didn’t turn it on and I was amazed by how much time I had. I tidied the kitchen and felt satisfied by the ordinary, everyday experience of contributing something useful to family life, rather than escaping it. I felt I wanted more evenings like that, and not so many lost in TV. But does it have to be all or nothing? Or can I stay in contact with my appetite and find my way to an amount that feels right?

Journal：theguardian

Title：How can you regain your appetite for life? Slow down a little – and savour everything（ 3 Nov 2024 ）

Category：wellbeing

Slow down a little – and savour everything.

放慢脚步，细细品味一切。

Your inner voice can open up huge possibilities for change and growth, but it can be strangely hard to hear it.

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