Letting-go of addictive behaviours.

From a young age, many of us have been programmed to seek-out and hold tight to repeatable behaviours, an understandable approach in an otherwise consistently changing and evolving existence. As we grow, through relationships, schools, hobbies, skills and many more forms of expression in identity that oscillate and vary with time – finding behaviours that repeat and ‘stay the same’ is a form of comfort seeking. Acts such as hugging, kissing, reading and exercising are “healthier” forms of release that are unlikely to hinder a persons progress, these behaviours release hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin. (Also known as “happy hormones”). Yet when a person feels a “lacking” in their life, whether it be a loss in grief, a trauma that took away certain comfort or any other form of change that was felt to cause negative detriment – that person will consciously and/or subconsciously go in search for a form of energy to replace such a loss. Searching for a way to find balance by increasing their intake of “happy hormones”, bringing back a self-defined reasoning of control.

Addiction is a dangerous tool in Ego’s arsenal – by making its host- the addict- “feel” as though they have control over the substance and how it affects their body, mind, spirit and soul. 

Most people have addictions that they may or may not be aware of, some are more natural and “healthy” than others – the way we are genetically positioned to crave sunlight as a stimulant is a regular attachment or “addiction” that is bypassed when studying addiction, drinking water and breathing air is another obvious form of addiction – in fact our bodies are so clearly addicted to water and air that without them our bodies go into a quick and heightened state of withdrawal before desisting existence completely. 

By referencing the living evolutions of other species – the Gerenuk, a species of African antelope, although obtaining moisture from the food they eat, can prosper its entire life without ever tasting water – this is an example of a being that has extreme lack of access to water. To another extreme – and contradictory to the saying “drinking like a fish” – most freshwater fish rarely ever need to drink water as their bodies have evolved to such a salt-rich consistency that they are constantly hydrated by their swimming environment. While a cow living under human management, being forced to produce milk on an industrial feed can drink around 100 gallons/378.541litres per day in hot weather – around 300-400 times more than a human needs to be sustained.

There have been recent discoveries of animals/micro-organisms that don’t need air to breathe – Salminicola – Maybe proof of a being that could not only survive but flourish in a post-human-polluted world if we are unable to salvage our existence from the destruction we are/have already caused. Life will find a way – it is up to us whether we choose to continue with life rather than against it. As individuals run mainly by Ego, it may not seem like a choice but rather an example of destiny/fate or “the inevitable plan of creation”, similar to how some people refrain from voting on issues from a view of their single vote not making a difference, yet we as individuals make up the whole – divided we are like forces of energy in polarity and conjecture – only colliding or avoiding, yet when together, we are a single incorruptible force of unity – just as how when a person has set their mind to a task with undivided focus they will succeed better that they ever would with a mind distracted.

We are compilations of cosmic energies that have comprised and evolved us into essence – we are not separate from the chemicals, objects and beings that we perceive around us other than how we define ourselves to be. Existence in the form of “life-span” – how we define a beginning and end in an interpretive individualised compression of realism is in itself unrealistic – we are aware that energy does not disappear and cannot be destroyed – yet it will gravitate, travel and transform – why would we perceive our existence as separate from this intrinsic proof rather than be aware of the eternal exponential rhythm of creation?

Whether it be regular doses of coffee, a medication or act of chemical release such as exercise, we are prescribed to being, not to needing – any perception of needing is simply a craving that we have given importance to. You may believe that a certain formula of chemicals holds intrinsic value to how you continue to exist yet there are many different ways in which to solve a single problem – there are multiple algorithms to find the same solution. 

We as a species may not all want the same thing in every category of life and may sometimes disagree on a lot – but differences of opinion are a way to find strength, and if we can all agree on pursuing what is truly important to us, then we are no longer arguing but instead are debating and conversing – there need not be an opponent or any competition – the daytime is not in conflict with the night, water is not in conflict with the air – the energies and powers flow in fluency with and around each other, conversing through chemical changes and interchanging states. Ego is not our enemy because enemies do not exist outside of our imagination – Ego is a companion that has and will have helped us on our process of transformation – just because we no longer need Ego does not mean that Ego was not a valued and important part of our life.

Addiction is not our enemy, addiction gave us something to help us cope when we were lacking – a force and friend that lent a hand when we were in need. The kindest and most honourable action that a person can reciprocate to addiction is accepting its presence, to be grateful for it having been there and letting it go, without reiteration. 

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”  ~Aristotle