WEEKLY MEDITATION
If there is any peace it will come through being not having.
-Henry Miller
The investment in either our addictions or our recoveries is, ultimately, an investment in attaining a sense of well-being. Furthermore, successful addiction recovery must be viewed as the functional pursuit of what was pursued, dysfunctionally, through our addictions. Although it may be appropriate in the beginning to put a focus on abstinence from the particular form our addictions took, it is imperative to move beyond this narrow focus. At the very least, we should share it with our learning to experience life in a way that no longer relies on the mechanics of addiction for regulation. For many of us, our addictions were strong enough to make the attainment of a normal material life impossible, so there will be a necessary focus on acquiring certain possessions. But the foundation of recovery must remain the pursuit of emotional health and an internal sense of balance. It is important to remember that our material possessions should be used to serve this end, not as an end in itself, lest they simply become part of a new additive pursuit. But if we can find our way to a deepening sense of well-being, not only will we develop a healthier relationship to the material world, but we will find that our need for addiction decreases on its own.
