You don’t have to give in. Sometimes it appears that life leaves you no choice. Like other’s “make” you do things. Like the “only” option you have is to cave. This isn’t so.
You do have a choice. You do have other options. You have the option to choose YOU. To choose yourself, to choose what is best for you. To choose a state of mind that is stronger than anything that anyone can possibly make you feel.
I see it everywhere. I experience it myself. Everyone, everywhere, struggling, striving, fighting, trying… and when you add it altogether like one big large sum the equation seems to add to an almost unbearable amount. I know this can be overwhelming. I’ve been overwhelmed. It’s crippling.
And in this crippling stage you need something to “help” you along. You smoke cigarettes to calm your nerves. You have a drink to take the edge off. You smoke a joint to relax. You take a line to give you confidence. You lick some mdma to give you energy. You eat some shrooms to take your mind to a place where everything is colourful and interesting.
And at the end of it all, you forget. You forget your worries, your doubts, your insecurities, you forget your pain.
I know because I’ve been there, I’ve done it. I’m not ashamed to say it. I still smoke cigarettes, too many of them, I still drink, on weekends or a friend’s birthday, maybe one tequila too many. I still smoke weed, at a music festival or instead of drinking when I go out.
But the truth is it is ALL poison. Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and more in particular, spiritually. I’m not saying I’ll never touch another cigarette, I am addicted to nicotine. I’m not saying you should never drink, a glass of wine at dinner is harmless.
In the end it’s about the motivation behind the act of consuming all these “treats”. All they do is alter your focus, your attention, they take away all of the things that absorb your thoughts, your energy, and transfer all the attention to the present moment, to right now.
And I’ve found out, through the grace that I’ve been blessed to have been given, that there are other, better, healthier ways to do that. The question is your strength of mind, your strength of will, your strength of spirit. Are you going to give into temptation and take the easy route, or are you going to challenge yourself to actually feel whatever it is that you are feeling, process it and overcome it?
I’m not trying to take away the severity of whatever the circumstance you may find yourself in, or whatever deep rooted psychological tendencies may be the cause of consumption.
All I’m saying is that you can choose to opt out. You can exercise. You can read. You can listen to music. You can take a long bath, light candles, light incense, meditate, you can write, you can call a friend, or someone you feel comfortable with, you can talk about it, express yourself, voice those gnawing issues at your core, and you can PRAY.
You can escape the trudges of your mind without drugs. The most beautiful thing about this is that you don’t have to do it alone either. Whichever Creator you happen to believe in, even if you don’t believe in one, there is most definitely a higher power that is there with you, for you, inside of you, a source of abundant strength, upon which you can rely indefinitely.
I’m not going to think that anyone who reads this is immediately going to change their way of life or be inspired to do anything differently for that matter, but I can hope and pray that if anything resonates within someone who does, that they may find peace, rest and simply ask questions.
Have faith in your capability. You are as capable as you want to be.
