You’re enslaved to countless forces. Manipulation is everywhere. Don’t add an addiction.
How many people can’t start the day without a cup of coffee or inhaling nicotine? What about ending the day with wine, or a beer? Sugar hits like a drug doesn’t it?
Don’t chase escapes1. Life is hard. Accept and manage it knowing this. Remember, life’s contrasts are what give it meaning.
How you structure your life directly affects its outcomes. Your habits automate your behavior. Habits and addictions with negative effects invite unpredictable outcomes.
I’ve worked hard not to depend on anything— and my life is better for it. There is power in an ability to stop or alter any habit.
You can maximize your freedom and agency by removing forces that can control you2. Align forces in your favor— that’ll give you real freedom and power.
✧ ✦ ✧
Examples of addiction’s damage are everywhere. Just look for it. How many suffer because of an inability to moderate themselves? Don’t enslave yourself to something you never needed to begin with.
If you must have addictions, try to choose those that compound in your favor:
- Eat well (Real food, not too much, mostly vegetables)
- Exercise regularly
- Make good sleep habitual
- Crave meaningful connections with others