"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Addiction is something we do in the moment. Joy or pleasure. It is a temporary escape. It will never lead to lasting happiness. The pleasure is only for the moment.
Addiction is any behavior that you create that will give you some relief or pleasure and also has negative consequences. But you don´t give it up despite the negative consequences in your life.
Addiction can be a substance like cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, sugar, food or caffeine.
Or it can be a behavior like shopping, gambling, watching TV, web surfing, sex or scrolling FB.
You can go after anything addicting even healthy things like exercising, yoga or spirituality.
These healthy behaviors only become addictive if they are an escape from yourself and doing them while ignoring other important needs, your family or other relationships.
Then they will become an addiction.
You are going after a particular experience. A special outcome - a feeling - expectation.
"Activity without purpose is the drain of your life."
- Tony Robbins
Addiction can also be a surrogate for our true calling in life.
We are truly afraid to go after what we really want in life.
Why?
Because to follow our true calling requires us to step into the light. To be seen. To take chances. Risk the chance of failure. Being judged by others. Standing out. Being different than others. Not feeling good enough. Not going along to get along.
To follow our true calling requires a lot of work. It´s not easy and it will probably hurt. It demands us to step out of our comfort zone and we will risk exposure.
So instead we choose a career that isn´t our own choice. It could be something our parents wanted us to do. Or our peer group or society. Sometime we rather fit in with the group instead of carving our own path.
We stay on a job that we dislike, that doesn't lead us to anything and it won´t make us grow - because it will give us security.
We stay in soul-sucking relationships - instead of leaving the relationship for something different that will truly feed our soul.
We know we want adventure in life - but instead we settle for a quiet lifestyle that will slowly make our soul wither away.
"The purpose of life is to find your gift.
The purpose of life is to give it away."
- Pablo Picasso
Maybe you are living in the past or dreaming about the future, while failing to do the work that is required to make progress in the present.
Now instead of doing what you know you "must" do. You escape from yourself and your life for a while with some type of addiction. At least while using some substance or doing a certain behavior - for the moment you won´t feel the pain.
But it´s temporary.
The feeling won´t last.
Maybe you are living in the past or dreaming about the future, while failing to do the work that is required to make progress in the present.
Now instead of doing what you know you "must" do. You escape from yourself and your life for a while with some type of addiction. At least while using some substance or doing a certain behavior - for the moment you won´t feel the pain.
But it´s temporary.
The feeling won´t last.
"Find purpose. The means will follow."
- Mahatma Gandhi
What is addiction doing for you?
Why don't you want to be yourself at this moment?
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