Regaining Inspiration & Overcoming Addiction 

© April Pinsonneault 2024

Work / Life Balance

Inspiration and the desire to replace addiction, or  resolving to change unhealthy tendencies, is an arduous task. In this, the struggle that often causes a seriously good excuse for unhealthy habits rears its ugly head; how is work / life balance achieved? Not only this but it would appear that the inner child pulls us unconsciously away from work. One memorable quote comes from a movie with children who are scolded by their parents because they can see and enjoy the fairy world. In response, one of the children says, “Becoming an adult means forgetting who you are.”

Neverland Gone Naughty

This is a difficult problem because Neverland, as in Peter Pan, must be abandoned. But the adolescent experience often includes a  belief that becoming an adult must involve risk taking and raunchy habits. It is an unconscious belief learned through film and unfortunately, in some cases, through the observation of adults. And, for some reason, children do not like rules. Breaking rules seems to satisfy individuality at some level. Unfortunately recovery involves a deep understanding of how rules operate and resolution to be a more decent human being rather than rebels fighting for a corner of the world. In this, trust, that there is an individual marching to one’s own drum.

Soul Recovery

What is it that causes a lack of identity? “Who am I,  is the cornerstone of philosophy and religion. The identity crisis is often a topic of reflection. Maybe people have addictive tendencies  that satisfy a need to experience themselves differently. The understanding that I am here now has become supplanted by a desire to be someone else someplace else. But how is the resolve to stay healthy strengthened? And how does this resolve…moment by moment, day by day, feed the work / life balance while keeping the magic of life alive? As Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn said, “Present moment, beautiful moment”. Yes: even in the face of horror and tragedy one is awakened to the frail workings of life and death and learns to replace difficult feelings with a sense of grace– an understanding that life is at work and will not be stopped for better and for worse.