So the other night I was drinking a Guinness my husband got me for St Patrick's Day weekend and watching Oprah's Supersoul Sunday, and Oprah was interviewing Debbie Ford. Debbie was speaking about a point in her life when she first saw God, back when she was in a treatment facility. Oprah then asked her whether she had had this spiritual awakening while on drugs, or while off of drugs. What a great question!
This episode got me thinking, since I was watching Debbie Ford while drinking beer. It got me thinking about why we drink or do drugs at all. What is the draw? We know all of the possible negative side effects. We've lived through the poor decisions made while drunk or high and we've survived the hangovers the next day. So why would we ever do it more than once? Why isn't it an obvious lesson learned the first time around?
Obviously, alcohol and drug addiction is a complicated topic that can't all be addressed in one blog post. There is the physical addiction side, which I am not delving into at all. What I propose to talk about here is only a slight aspect of a much bigger conversation, but one that I found intriguing to consider.
Did your spiritual experience happen while you were on drugs or while you were recovering? We hear so many stories from those leaders who had a spiritual awakening when they hit their "rock bottom" and decided to live a different kind of life. But, many people have had spiritual experiences while drinking or doing drugs. And the intriguing thought for me was that, maybe, in the beginning, this is why someone would gravitate towards mind-altering activities. I doubt very much this is a mindful decision, "Hmm, maybe if I snort some cocaine, I will find God..." That's not what I'm saying. But there is always something we are looking for before trying something new. Social acceptance, a distraction from how we currently feel, relaxation, or energy, for example. We just don't know what it is we are looking for. And so very sane and reasonable people try some very out of the box behaviors.
When you have your first beer, drink, toke, snort, shot, and I don't know the lingo for what else, the theory that I am exploring is, that maybe you are able to, in that moment, relax enough to tune in to the present moment. To shut your ego down. To stop comparing yourself to others and believe that you are of value. To see how all things in the world are connected. To believe that everything that happens to you has a reason and a lesson and for a moment we can be grateful for what we have now. For that moment, the quality of the chair your sitting in and the decorations of your location aren't important. It's enough that you are alive and being provided for. That first drink helps you get in touch with and see your attractive, witty, and intelligent side. The beauty is that the drinks and drugs don't make you a better person, a more introspective person, a more outgoing person, but they block your ego and for just a little while you can be in touch with your true nature, your purpose and your inner guide. In the beginning, maybe it helps you see God, because your barriers are down and you allow yourself to trust and have faith.
All of these feelings, which are wonderful and breathtaking and worthy of wanting to feel again, unfortunately don't last long with drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, I believe that so many people stumble upon these feelings accidentally and then falsely attribute the drugs or alcohol with the responsibility of getting you there. There is a false belief that it is the only way to feel that good, or maybe just the easiest and fastest way. But studies and history reveal that although in the beginning drugs and alcohol might feel good, they soon overtake your life. The second, third and fourth drink don't bring you that feeling, it makes you sick. Another shot of heroine or snort of cocaine doesn't bring you that feeling, it makes you sick. And over time the drugs and alcohol don't bring you that feeling at all. You go through your day in a depressed fog looking for the drugs and alcohol to bring you to some semblance of normal, or at least not like complete shit, but not closer to God. Because you didn't know that's what you were looking for in the first place.
Many things in life start for one reason, but continue for another. Recovery is a complex and individual path. I'm not suggesting that becoming spiritual is a direct and easy path to healing yourself from a life of drugs and alcohol (I believe it is a part of the journey, however). I am simply looking at one piece of this issue, which has more to do with preventing others from getting there in the first place.
Is this a crazy thought that we are all looking for our spiritual path, we just don't realize it? Maybe. I do think that we have a responsibility to teach our children that there are a million ways to feel good. We have a responsibility to show them that there are healthy ways to feel strong, confident, witty, connected, smart, and in tune with their inner self. It's not about praising kids for everything they do, or keeping them from ever failing or making a mistake. It's about showing them how exciting life is in the day to day. How awesome it feels to hang upside down from the jungle gym. How wonderful it can feel to share something with a friend. How moving your body through playing games, and sports and even just in spinning in circles or running through mud can bring you joy. Then, maybe when they are teenagers (hopefully not middle schoolers, but come on people, you know our kids are growing up fast) when they do try that cigarette, that joint or that wine cooler at a party, they will recognize the feeling for what it is. And they will know that they can just as easily get that high from sitting in silence, reading a good book, or playing a game.
Your thoughts? Would love to hear them.
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