Hello there! I’m sooooo glad it’s Wednesday. Both Monday and Tuesday—and part of today—were a bit frustrating for me, so I’m more than welcomed to reach the giant hump in the middle of the week. It’s all smooth sailing from here (I hope!).

Even after snapping shots of my meals yesterday, I’d decided against posting a What I Ate Wednesday roundup. Nevertheless, after perusing my blog feed and gazing upon others’ WIAW posts (and feeling like I should take part, as well), I decided to start from scratch. Let’s call this WIAW: Obligation.

I don’t want to write blog posts that lack thoughtfulness or creativity, which is why I’m expanding the idea of obligation.

We all feel—at some point in our lives—the obligation to act a certain way, to do a certain task, or to sacrifice something important to us simply because we “ought to.”

Obligations aren’t inherently a bad thing: by definition, they’re simply an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment.

If you witness a crime, you’re both morally and legally obligated to report it. If you suspect a friend or loved one is harming himself, you’re obligated to reach out or encourage him to seek professional help. If you’re preparing for an audit and your entire office puts in a few hours of overtime, you’re obligated (if you want to keep your job!) to do your part, too.

But what about obligations that result from guilt?

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As a healthy living blogger, sometimes I’ve felt obligated to go for a run on Saturday morning while wanting nothing more than to spend an extra hour curled up in bed. Perhaps I was being lazy and could’ve used some fresh air and sunshine, but maybe I desired to rest because I needed to catch up on sleep or experience some down time. Healthy living is equal parts physical and mental so what good am I doing to myself and others if I don’t listen to my body and rest when needed?

Or what about ordering a salad at dinner instead of a juicy cheeseburger because you’ve just been preaching about nutrition to your family? Though I almost always eat what I feel like eating at any given time—especially if dining out—I’d be lying if I said I didn’t sometimes feel guilty about indulging after encouraging others to make different choices.

In the end, we often have a moral or legal responsibility to do certain things, but if our actions don’t directly or indirectly affect someone else’s well-being, then we should aim to please ourselves.

Live by example, but don’t sacrifice your own desires because you have a certain image to uphold.

To myself: don’t publish a blog post unless it’s something I’m (at least somewhat) proud of.

And now that I no longer feel like I’m posting strictly out of obligation, let’s take a look at Wednesday’s eats. 🙂

Breakfast: overnight oats with almond milk, mashed banana, pecans, cinnamon, blackberries, and blueberries

Lunch: leftover roast beef and twice-baked potato (courtesy of Mark’s MLK holiday at home) plus baby carrots with hummus

Afternoon snack: a lightly-sweetened rice flour cookie from the Philippines that a coworker gave me and a cup of tea

Dinner: homemade chickpea burgers with coleslaw and a twice-baked potato

Thanks to Peas & Crayons for hosting. Later, gators!