"I'm Addicted to This Game"

I let myself scroll through Instagram a couple times each week, and each time I come across ads that say something like this:

“I’m addicted to this game.”

“I’m addicted to this page.”

“I’m addicted to this app.”

Is that supposed to entice me? That their product is addictive?

No thanks! I'd rather not get addicted to whatever you're trying to sell me.

I’ll admit, there is a part of me that does get attracted to those ads. Other people’s passion can be attractive and inspiring!

But do we really want more addiction in our lives?

Here’s why we like being addicted to games, shows, substances, people, food, etc.: 

Our addictions help us avoid the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings we don’t know how to be with.

What if instead of scrolling longer, or streaming the next episode, or having a glass of wine, we instead decided to just sit with and be with the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings within us?

What if we got addicted to bringing wholeness to the parts of us that are uncomfortable? Or if we got addicted to listening to the parts of us that are whispering truths and integrity, the parts of us that know better, want better, and want to be better?

This week I reached for another date (the fruit, not a human) to eat after dinner - and there was a voice inside: “That’s enough.” So I put the date back in its package.

I listened and honored that voice.

It was powerful. It was freeing. It was authentic. It was Grace.

Also one evening this week, as I made dinner, I turned on an episode of a show I’ve been into lately. Again, that whisper inside: “Just be with the meal you’re making.” So I closed the laptop and focused solely on the meal.

I listened and honored that voice.

Here’s what I’m building up as a habit and an addiction: welcoming, embracing, and loving all parts of myself, including the uncomfortable ones.

When we let those parts be, they’ll let us be. And then there’s no longer any need to hide from them with our addictions and distractions.

"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone."

- Blaise Pascal

Thank you for reading. ❤️

The Inside Job That's Safe From AI

Because I teach computer science, every week or so someone says to me, “Did you know that computer science used to be the top field to go into, and now AI is taking all the jobs?”

AI is coming for more jobs than just computer science. Most white collar jobs, in fact, are replaceable by AI, especially the AI that is yet to come.

My default, pessimistic thinking tends to catastrophize and think the worst about the future of our economy and well-being as individuals and society. By Grace and by practice, however, I am not limited to my default, pessimistic thinking.

We are always creating with our thinking. We cannot help but create. And in every moment we have a choice:

Constant unconscious creation with our default, defensive, protective thinking… or Constant conscious creation from the deeper, more authentic part of ourselves - the True Self, the Spiritual Self.

I am consciously envisioning a world of abundant health, well-being, love, peace, and enjoyment - for all life. My life, in fact, is a commitment to the well-being of all life.

My pessimistic and fearful thinking are trailheads - trailheads into healing and wholeness for myself, and trailheads to the path of creativity and inspiration for a world that works for all life.

Know thyself. Free thyself. Consciously create thyself. These are our forever jobs. 

Humanity has tried outsourcing them to machines and algorithms already (Instagram and YouTube), to drugs and alcohol, to degrees and jobs, to lovers and children, and even to religion and gurus. 

But our happiness and fulfillment are an inside job. Yes, an inside job supported by grace and inheritance, but someone else’s wisdom and revelation can only lead us to the water - we’ve got to drink.

So the most important aspect of being human, our inner life, cannot be outsourced to AI. Sure, it can be supported, but only so far. 

For when any of us chooses the machine over another human - as so many of us have done and continue to do in this Age of Distraction - we move even farther from ourselves and who we really are.

Like happiness, healing and wholeness are an inside job. Peace and well-being are an inside job. Relationships and leadership (of self and others) are an inside job.

The more of us who are willing to do that inner work now will make our coming transitions easier, more enjoyable, and more effective. Join me on the path of healing, wholeness, peace, enjoyment, and unconditional love.

It's your job to give you that, and no one else's.

🙏❤️

The Upward Climb to Wholeness

In 5 years and 323 posts, this is my third post that I’ve been late to upload and send out. 

(I was going to write “…this is only my third post...”)

Out of 323 posts, 3 being late is less than 1% of my posts. Thats over 99% on time as promised.

(I was going to add “That’s pretty good!”)

I can give you the reasons I’m uploading this late. I want to.

That’s what we do, isn’t it? We give reasons to justify why we’re not living up to our own standards. 

Here’s the stat about my lateness that is most interesting to me, though: 

Out of 323 posts, 3 were late, and 2 of these late posts were in the last week. 😳

Yes, 2 of my 3 late posts are this one and last week’s!

It’s a slippery, easy slope to degrade our integrity. The more we sell out on our promises and commitments, the easier it is to sell out on our promises and commitments. 

So what do I do now? How do I restore my integrity, and how do I restore my view of myself as someone who honors his commitments, on time, and to my best abilities?

I forgive myself for getting this post out late. 

I forgive myself for not planning as well as I could’ve. 

I forgive myself for still wanting to share my reasons with you. 

I forgive myself for selling out on my commitment. 

Etc. 

The slippery downward slope is easy. The upward climb to integrity and wholeness takes more effort. 

That’s why so many of us don’t make that climb. 

Why is it that we can climb that challenging hill to integrity and wholeness, and then so easily slip back down the hill in a moment of weakness or distraction?

Regardless or the whys, there’s just one direction for us that has integrity and honors who we really are and what we’re really up to:

The upward climb to wholeness. 

Besides, it’s likely that we don’t actually slip that far back downhill. Maybe it only looks that way to our judgmental mind. 

So, forgive yourself and get your butt back on that upward climb to wholeness.

Choose: continue the downward slide or get back on the upward climb.

Thank you for reading. 🙏❤️