Backstory: A lovely woman asked me if I eat clean, presumably due to last year’s 30 lb weight loss. I explained it wasn’t necessarily “clean” but I do eat keto because it helps with migraine management.

The rest of the story: I began to consider what “clean” actually means. A clean lifestyle, specifically. It made me wonder if those who live clean, with a clear conscience, a gentle heart, a desire to help others, to make a difference, a manageable amount of stress, etc. live longer than others. Or have a different type of dynamic life.

As I began to consider my choices, decisions, and goals and then compare them to what weighs on me…I decidedly do not live a clean life. Perhaps this is why some things are arguably tougher than other things. Although I’ve always said the only person who has to sleep with your decisions is you, somehow that doesn’t make me feel any better.

Somewhere I heard the following quote: “The potential you see in others is a reflection of your values, not theirs”. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times – disappointment is the hardest emotion to process because it’s innately personal to lift someone up to what you see in them but not feel devastated when it doesn’t go the way you envision. Disappointment is a complicated feeling.

__________________

I ask you –

What does clean mean to you?

Do you agree regarding the quote about potential?

Happy Love Day! Hope it’s filled with overpriced chocolate and flowers.

(The post Purely Complicated first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

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