The accepted definition of “addiction” in the medical community is “continued use in spite of negative consequences.”<\/p>\n
Now combine that with Conversations with God’s<\/em> definition: \u00a0We experience addiction when the absence of something in our life renders us unable to experience joy and happiness.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at humanity’s addiction to our story<\/em>.<\/p>\n What is “story”? \u00a0Story is a tool the ego uses to protect the small us, the physical sense of who we are.\u00a0 An observation of mine is that most beings are living in a distorted reality as a result of our ego protecting what it has made up about what it imagines we are lacking.\u00a0 We then take that out into the world, either silently or quite loudly. \u00a0Some of us sneak through life quietly, hoping to not be noticed due to our story that we are simply not good enough; others have to be the center of attention, the loudest person in the room, for fear that they, too, will be seen as insufficient. \u00a0We all know the person who is always ready to knock someone else down in order to prop themselves up.<\/p>\n We have all heard someone tell stories like, “I would have gotten the promotion, but my boss doesn’t like people who are taller than him” or “Jane broke up with me because she didn’t like how I say what is on my mind” or “The cops had it in for me because I have\u00a0tattoos.”<\/p>\n Is that person really higher up or more evolved than the rest of us, therefore deserving of their self-created pedestal?\u00a0 Is anyone greater or less than another?\u00a0 Are we addicted to our separation?\u00a0 Are our hang-ups holding us back from experiencing life in all its grandness?<\/p>\n Why is it that many of us tend to hide behind a story? \u00a0A reason for why we act the way we act? \u00a0Are we really just acting out our lives \u00a0here in this grand illusion to protect ourselves from some unforeseen danger?<\/p>\n What makes some people rise above their story? \u00a0What is your story and when will you change it or, at the very least, challenge it?\u00a0 What would it look like if you did this? \u00a0What would the world look like if we all managed to get out from under our self- imposed prisons?<\/p>\n By now almost everyone has heard the saying “The truth will set you free,” yet not too many people are willing to tell the truth even to themselves. \u00a0Does the truth hurt or does it truly open us to more freedom and joy?<\/p>\n