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i heard stingray say that the purpose of life is joy and that it guides you to the right direction. whatever feels joyful should be your guidance to you. but what about addictions? lets say someone is a tv-addict and finds it joyful to watch tv all day long? is watching tv then his life purpose? if someone is an alcoholic his thoughts and emotions will keep telling him: "go and buy a beer so you find joy!" so can this voice can be his guidance? if a sex addict seeks spontaneous sex with strangers every day, is it good for him to listen to his emotions? |
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I've never known anyone classify themselves as an "addict" and genuinely claim they are joyful with their addiction at the same time. I think the distinction you are making is that of seeking relief from painful emotion compared with that of joy. When one engages with an activity out of joy, there are accompanying feelings of fun, excitement, passion etc. It clearly feels positive to be involved in the activity. When one engages with an activity out of addiction, there is a clear feeling of disempowerment (negative emotion) accompanying it. You are feeling disempowered because you do not wish to engage in the activity but the pain of not engaging in it feels worse than the pain of engaging it...so one engages in it. So, for example, a TV addict - if genuinely an addict - would not find joy in watching TV but relief from something else more painful that the TV watching is distracting them from. When that more painful issue is neutralized, the behavior automatically changes because now the pain of engaging in the addiction is greater than the pain of not engaging in it. All of us know within ourselves when any activity goes from feeling joyful to feeling addictive simply by sensing how we feel (positive or negative) as we engage in it. 3
@Stingray- This backs up what Michael Brown says about addictions in the book The Presence Process. An addiction is just a way of sedating an emotional charge.
(24 Sep '12, 15:36)
Satori
1
@Satori - I finally ordered that book, it should arrive any day now. I feel like I can catch up a bit when I read it - you and so many other folks have gotten so much out of it. :)
(25 Sep '12, 15:19)
Grace
1
@Grace- Perfect timing about mentioning this book. Although I'm wary now of recommending specific processes to people I think you should take a look. Read it first of course and see if it resonates. It is a very powerful integration tool. :)
(25 Sep '12, 15:32)
Satori
1
@Grace- This is in relation to your latest question. I think now a process will work better for someone if they feel inspired to use it from within themselves, instead of someone recommending or telling them they should use it. Ultimately everyone knows what's best for them better than anyone else, just my view. So I guess the best way is to just share here what has worked for me .You went ahead and bought the book yourself though so maybe it is something that will benefit you. Enjoy:)
(25 Sep '12, 16:33)
Satori
Thank you, @Satori. It's hard to imagine how what you have described would not be beneficial. I'm looking forward to reading it very much.
(25 Sep '12, 16:53)
Grace
@Satori - Ok, now I get it. This isn't going to be easy, is it? I have read some more of what people say about this process now, though, and I do believe it will surely be worth it.
(11 Oct '12, 11:54)
Grace
missed that answer for whatever reason. thank you :)
(26 Oct '12, 12:06)
releaser99
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it maybe joyful activity that we should seek, where as partaking in activity that has joyfulness |
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