The Opposite Is the Medicine
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When I find myself facing a temptation lately, remembering that the opposite is the medicine soothes me. I do the difficult task and abstain from the unhealthy food and tell myself the uncomfortable truth. These things don't feel good in the moment, but responding to life's tests by doing the opposite of what my habitual lower energy pattern would have me do is my self-loving, self-helping medicine. Knowing that makes it a bit easier to stomach. It's these small victories, these little defiances of entropy that add up to radically different life circumstances when compounded. It's one thing to intellectually know the importance of the daily decisions but it's another emotional and disciplined thing to live them out. To trust that there is meaning in the suffering and that there are more aligned contributions for me to give to others. The more often I give myself the medicine, the more often I am aligned. It's easy to believe in myself when I make it easier and easier by doing the opposite, by giving myself the medicine. It's a long life. I've done a lot of good but it's meager compared to what I hope to do with my life. It's the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. I have so much experience with both. One pain simultaneously provides such good medicine. The other is just pain. |
@strangestloop
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