WEEKLY MEDITATION
Just this.
-Zen Saying
At the very heart of addiction is the desire or need to remain sheltered from the emotional impact of the present moment. The opposite of this need for escape would be the ability to experience and fully accept the present moment, however difficult its emotional significance. This simple Zen saying is a reminder that whatever “this” is presented at any given moment is never something that needs to be avoided. Far from being avoided, in fact, there is a lesson or opportunity in every situation or circumstance that comes our way, regardless of how negatively we may perceive it. It is important to remember that once physical addictions are dealt with, what remains is the need to deal with the underlying desire for emotional escape. With time and practice, there can develop a true capacity to deal with the entire emotional landscape presented to us, and a confidence that comes with this capacity. As this ability to deal with daily life increases, the need to escape through addictive behaviors decreases. Successful recovery is ultimately the process of removing the need for addictive behaviors far more than it is about removing the addictive behaviors or substances themselves.
