Immediate relief…immediate bliss…immediate gratification…all else fades into the void while we are consumed within a momentary world…no past, no future, just a series of perfect moments…welcomed into the arms of our ADDICTION.
The problem…we have been consumed by a lie.
The lie…that life can be perfect. Lived impulse to impulse, satisfying our every desire without thought or consequence. Our god is self and our only purpose is to satisfy its desire. Like any egomaniacal king or queen, we truly believe that the lives of those around us are unaffected, nay, honored to be within our blissful presence.
This is the nature of addiction, if we are real, honest, and raw. As we step out of the momentary and into the connected, continuous cycle of everyday life, we inevitably come crashing down. We face the consequences of a purposeless existence. And since this reality doesn’t match our lie, we spiral once again back into our addiction…letting it all to fade into the void once more. Ironically, we allow our addiction to chain us within the connected cyclical nature of the very reality we are trying to avoid.
The freedom that our impulsiveness provides is a lie. We are confined…limited…diminished by it. Because no matter how egomaniacal we become, reality is still reality…truth is still truth…and life isn’t momentary and it certainly isn’t perfect. It is linear and cyclical at the same time; with each decision, event, and person connected to the next. Each of our lives spider webs into the framework of existence and their effects are lasting and ever changing as generations progress.
Our decisions matter…our lives matter…and they go far beyond ourselves. And let’s be honest, the whispered temptation of addiction is that we can escape this reality. That our past and future can be limited to our egocentric present experience. The pains of the past and our fears of the future can cease to exist. And isn’t that a pleasant idea? We can control it all! But in this fake utopia, we lose something else, parts of ourselves that keep us truly alive…HOPE…LOVE…CONNECTION.
Is it scary to HOPE to LOVE to RECONNECT in a world that we have so little control…”Yes!” But to be connected, to matter, to know that you can affect positive change in the world…it is worth it! And it is scary…even our creator says that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” By creating us in “His image,” and placing us in this world; He made us matter. Our lives and choices effect the world He created and that is wonderful and fearful all at the same time.
Even if we don’t acknowledge this truth, it still stands…our lives still matter, they still hold power. The question is: “Will you be the egomaniacal King or Queen laying waste to the world around you while medicating away the consequences?” Or “Will you take ownership of the power you have been given and risk HOPING…LOVING…and CONNECTING to the world around you?”
When you experience doubt and the ease of impulsiveness creeps in, take a breath. Allow yourself to stop, to breath, to remember…you matter…the people around you matter…and your creator has called you to so much more. In the end, we must trust that His design is worth it, that all the good and bad…beautiful and ugly of this world will culminate in a beautifully, complicated masterpiece. Expose the impulsiveness of addiction for what it is…A LIE.
Addiction, whether it be a substance abuse addiction, or a different behavioral addiction, removes us from reality. Community service opportunities allow us to truly connect to the reality of the world around us and to share in the HOPE and LOVE that the humanity we’re trying to avoid offers.”
The TRUTH is: You Already MATTER.
Choose to LOVE…Choose to CONNECT….Choose to HOPE.
