Originally Posted by
AlwysConflicted 
Yes I very much agree and feel if we didn't live in such a money-driven consumerism society people could maybe feel more at peace. Most of us don't have basic lives anymore and go from one worry to the next, spend our time doing things we don't particularly like and enjoy out of necessity and end up neglecting doing that what we need to nourish our souls... I think a lot of joy and peace can be found in nature, a walk through a quiet forest or swimming in the sea where you are able to just simply enjoy the earth we're living in and take a moment to appreciate it as in everyday life (especially living in a city) you're going from one building to the next, traffic everywhere noise and chaos and I feel it cuts you off from the natural world and from nature which is so important for our mental states...
Also you mention and realise in your post that you may not have had gratitude for something you should have and this is something i've often considered as I too seem to lack gratitude for most things and simply take things for granted. I think at least acknowledging this behaviour and realising you should start to count your blessings rather than your shortcomings is the best anyone can do as many people I know would never even take this into consideration..We have come to expect certain things in life and until it's taken from us only then do we seem to realise how lucky we were to have it in the first place, especially if health related.
I often feel that if I was more grateful in general I wouldn't be abusing and pushing my limits as much as I do but as much as I try to tell myself and think about how lucky I am in some areas I still seem to just expect it and take it for granted. Another why, another disappointing trait.
Ultimately I think addiction can make a person selfish and disconnected, my addiction has been very isolating and the last things on my mind at the time were going out into nature and doing the things which help me escape in the best of ways but in my recovery although I often still want to isolate and binge watch tv episodes or something else where I can easily escape, i've found that making myself do these things has been the best thing ! I've noticed both times I relapsed was when I began to get lazy and quit putting effort into doing things which made me feel alive and rather began searching for those quick instant gratification things instead!
Definitely going forward something to keep in mind and not allow myself to fall back into that lazy and isolated frame of mind!
Well, it's very easy to get "caught up" in a noisy, busy world. And we can tolerate that a certain amount of time...but then there is something inside us screaming for some peace and quiet. Maybe that's why my mom would have us turn off the TV and all go outside and play for awhile at times!
I was really quite spoiled in a sense growing up. There was all this natural beauty, nature and it was in many ways unspoiled, untamed. I was able to drink it all in on a daily basis. There were no neighbors within eyesight! My "playground" was AMAZING!
And, because we did not have electronic gadgets to occupy our time, we learned to play music. We learned to work with horses, which is another analogy of getting as much out of it as you put into it. And gardening. The more effort you put into a garden the better the produce. I think effort is most always rewarded. But, it's okay to take those mental breaks too. Sometimes a person just needs to veg out for a bit.
No, it doesn't do a whole lot of good to DWELL on the "whys", but it's good to address the underlying issues. For example, to ask oneself,
"Why am I unhappy?" "Why do I not have peace?" Too many people don't even stop to realize they ARE unhappy and don't have peace. All of this requires a person to
pause and consider.....but it's good to then move on to action. "
Why am I unhappy, and what am I going to DO about it?" For some, the short-cut answer is to get that temporary 'feel good'. And I think that is where a lot of addiction gets started.
So, it's a beautiful, sunny, gorgeous day here in my part of the world. It would be a CRYING shame to not get outside and drink it in. The air is so fresh, the grass so green, the sky so blue, the flower buds so awesome, the dogwood trees , oh!! Have a wonderful day!