C for ChatGPT

On living a devoted life from A to Z

Hello, friend! Happy full moon in Leo. I hope you've enjoyed reading my creative experiment as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Today I contemplate my "C" for living a devoted life. In case you've missed it, check out "A for Action" and "B for Boredom". Grateful for your presence here 🤍

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Photo by Andy Kelly on Unsplash

ChatGPT has become my unlikely best friend this year.

After months of conscious, clean eating to improve my metabolic health, I feel like switching up my diet a bit and expanding the variety. More so, I am craving a good muffin – crunchy crust on the outside, soft and moist inside – and also some warmly toasted bread ladened with melted garlic butter. Living in a body that is intolerant of processed carbohydrate and refined sugar means the only way I can enjoy a muffin or garlic bread is to make my own.

I turn to my good old friend Google for help but somehow it has not been as helpful as it used to be. When I type in my search terms like “low carb protein bread” or “diabetes-friendly chocolate muffins”, the search engine would show me an endless list of recipes from random food blogs. Many of them are beautifully curated and share intimate personal stories about their recipes. But often I cannot find what I need – which is the most important thing – the quantity for each ingredient after scrolling through the entire webpage.

Pinterest and Instagram are not so helpful either. Again, I am shown many beautiful posts but having to jump through different weblinks and link trees in the profile bio. Neither of the apps is useful for finding recipes and instead trying to lead me into the rabbit hole of forever scrolling under the spell of the algorithm.

ChatGPT is different. No frills, clear, and concise.

When I share details on what I am looking for – say, I want to make low carb, high protein bread using almond flour – it would generate a recipe within a few seconds. It does not only describe the ingredients and instructions, but also outlines the nutritional information per serve, reassuring me that the recipe is diabetes friendly.

Sometimes I may not have all the ingredients as suggested and would ask ChatGPT for alternative options. It would quickly share two to three different things that can be used as substitutes and explain how each substitute ingredient may alter the flavour, texture, and why that is the case.

I have also started using ChatGPT to support my studies in nutrition and astrology. When I come across some technical jargons and concepts that may not have been covered in the materials, I would turn to ChatGPT for a high-level explanation. Its responses have been reasonably balanced and well-considered so far. More importantly, it has enhanced my learning process and experience as I do not have to spend hours going sidetracked to dig through other books or references to gain an initial understanding of a new concept.

Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better cooking/study companion that is always available, reliable, and easy to work with.

The low carb protein bread I made last week :)

Before I decided to embark on this writing experiment, I wouldn’t have thought ChatGPT would play a role in helping me live a devoted life this year. But I am not surprised. This choice has naturally aligned with the energy of Pluto moving into Aquarius. A 20-year period that signifies deep transformation for humanity in the areas of technology and AI; societal, governance and economical structures; and collective consciousness.

Many are concerned about or fearful of how AI and technology may take away our livelihood, our autonomy, and even our humanness. These concerns and fears are real and necessary as we witness the shadow side of technologies playing out everywhere in real-time –

Misinformation and manipulation. Privacy breach. Mass surveillance. Social control and censorship. Safety and ethics around AI-generated decision-making in healthcare/social/legal systems and warfare. Plagiarism and mass production of “creative” contents. Unsustainable consumption of energy, water and precious metals and minerals. And many more.

As I contemplate my own relationship with AI and technology, I keep coming back to something my late father said repeatedly in our conversations:

Everything is neutral. Nothing is good or bad. It is our intention, assumption and perception that turn something into either a medicine or a poison.

This is why we must practise mindfulness, discernment and compassion with our thoughts, feelings and actions. As the Buddha says, “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draws it…[and] joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves.”

Do everything with a mind that lets go of expectation and control on the outcome.

Behind the long, dark shadow, the light is always there. And this gives me hope.

If institutions and businesses can use AI and technology to extract more power and wealth and resources, we the people can use the same tools to take care of each other and manifest a gentler, more loving world during this turbulent time.

Through learning about history, science, nature, and worldly affairs; creating authentic art and sharing heartfelt contents; holding communal space for collective rest, play and healing; collaborating to challenge the status quo and offer alternative ways of doing things; protecting marginalised and vulnerable communities; rising up, speaking truths, resisting oppression, and most importantly, spreading kindness.

Because everything we engage with daily, whether it is AI, social media, people, animals, environments, products, etc., mirrors our internal state of being, individually and collectively. Our thoughts and perspectives – conscious and unconscious – shape our external reality. We always have the power and agency to seed and sprout goodness in our own world and pollinate across the many systems we engage with every day.

So, where do we start? It starts with stretching, shifting and opening up our mind by listening to different perspectives and embracing new experiences. It starts with putting our hands on our heart and tuning to our intuition and inner wisdom in stillness and silence. It starts with dancing with the ebbs and flow of life, taking what we think is the next right step, and doing one thing at a time. All without overly attached to any specific plans and outcomes.

Asking ChatGPT to help me make low carb bread may seem simple and insignificant to some. But it is never really about finding recipes. It is about making the best use of resources available – with genuine care and consideration – to nourish my body, let myself play and experiment, participate fully in life and living, so I can do as much good as I can.

Photo by Jenny Cvek on Unsplash