For the StarNews Online, Keith Louthan writes about spirituality and the importance of taking time to engage in contemplation. More than contemplating, he suggests we need to more often take time to consider our actions. If everyone took time to consider everything they were going to do before they were going to do it, the world would move a lot more slowly. For that reason, and likely many more, we are unlikely to even have the awareness we need to take the time to just sit and think about some of our behaviors before we act upon them. Louthan expresses that “We could all stand to consider some things, even deeply, but we will never “find” the time.” Our lives are all given the same amount of time in a day, Louthan explains. Nobody has more than 24 hours in any given day, unless they possess some kind of time travel powers. Time has to be used wisely because it can never be created or discovered like a level up in a video game.
Louthan writes that if we don’t take the time “to consider, to contemplate the beautiful,” in the heat of the moment we will find ourselves “driven by surging desire, or anger, or sadness, or bitterness, or pride, or any other momentary pleasure…” After all, the only beautiful part of a heated moment is the instant gratification received from getting what we want, when we want it, the way we want it to be gotten.
Those who struggle with compulsive behaviors like addiction, alcoholism, and self-harm understand the heat of the moment, especially the drive to receive that instant gratification. These behaviors become more than compulsory, they become habitual. Changing our habits is one of the most difficult challenges we face in recovery. Taking a spiritual approach by creating time for contemplation helps us eliminate the disruptive guilt and shame which can come from taking an honest look at ourselves. We are all humans making decisions about how to use our time. If you are taking the time in your life to work on yourself through recovery, your time is already well spent.
Are you ready for change? Avalon of Malibu is here to answer the call. Proudly, Avalon serves as one of California’s only treatment centers providing primary care for mental health disorders in addition to substance use disorders. For a confidential assessment and more information on our residential treatment programs, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.
