The Size of the Spoon

Sometimes the portion isn’t the problem.
It’s the size of the spoon you’re using to consume what’s in front of you. 🥄

When I was in political science classes, I was taught to step back and ask not just what I was reading, but why someone wanted me to read it - and why now. It was a training in looking beyond the obvious portion in front of me to see the whole table.

I think about that lesson often when parenting my son. Recently, we talked about sugar intake - not in the abstract, but in the context of the diseases that run in our family, which are entirely preventable. I told him food is a gateway to our long-term surthrival (survival + thriving). I want him to see that every bite we take is part of a bigger system shaping our future health.

This is personal for me. In the 90s, before it was trendy, my parents made us eat whole wheat bread and brown rice. I didn’t always love it, but those habits - leading to fostering discernment of spoon sizes - gave me the tools to make holistic lifestyle choices that helped me heal later in life.

Whether it’s politics, health, or leadership, sometimes the story isn’t in the portion.
It’s in the utensil you’ve been handed - and its size.




sincerely,
amber eltaieb