On the way to driving my daughter to voice lessons we pass a billboard that has been up for a few months and which always burrows into my brain and gets me to argue with it as if it were a person who could debate with me, but because it is an inanimate object that cannot reason I was motivated to write this post about it and why it irks me. Now before I explain why it bothers me to such an extreme I want to explain to you the perspective that have about life because it affects my reaction to the message on the billboard.
It is my firm belief that each of us are in complete control of our life and
It is my firm belief that each of us are in complete control of our life and
have been since our conception (yes, I realize that’s going far back for some of us who have been living a physical life for years). Every experience we have on earth is under our control. We have the power to create a life we desire. Sometimes this is motivated by things we enjoy and want and sometimes these decisions are motivated by the things we dislike and don’t want, but each of us make the decisions that lead us from one experience to another weaving our web of life, which at times interact with others web weaving. Other individuals like our family, friends, co-workers, or strangers may influence our choices, but we are ultimately the one’s responsible for our experiences or lack thereof. Even indecision and non-action is still a choice. This is my belief. This is how I perceive life and you definitely are not required to agree with me – that is your choice. *smirk*
So let’s discuss the billboard. The photo included with this post is an image of the billboard. The billboard has words on it that read: Addiction is not a Choice. It’s a Disease.
So let’s discuss the billboard. The photo included with this post is an image of the billboard. The billboard has words on it that read: Addiction is not a Choice. It’s a Disease.
As I already stated in the above paragraph I believe that everything is a choice. Everything. There is nothing in life that we experience that isn’t a consequence of a choice we made. And I know, oh, I know, that people will argue with me and bring up situations like addiction, molestation, rape, abuse … the list goes on.
And that person will ask me, “Why would anyone choose to be addicted to heroin?” or “Why would anyone choose to be molested by their father?” or “Why would anyone choose to be gay?”
My response to those questions is, “I don’t know. I am not that individual.”
I can assume that each of us chooses life experiences for spiritual growth, so that each of us (the totality of who we are including the non-physical part of us) can learn and through that learned experience aid in the expansion of All-There-Is, which each of us are a part of. We are manifestations of All-There-Is, also called God or The Universe or God Herself or Creator or … whatever you call the creating force of the cosmos. But, this is just an assumption on my part and I cannot speak for each individual human being, I can only inform you of my own experiences even the ones that were not pleasant. There is always something for me to learn and understand even through the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual suffering I encounter in this lifetime.
With this understanding if I were to answer the question, “Why would anyone choose to be addicted to heroin?” I would respond, “In order to learn something about themselves and the nature of humankind.” And this reason, my friends, is a choice, whether it is a conscious decision or something that is decided unconsciously – it is still a choice.
Let me now address the word disease in the billboard. The word disease can be broken down to be read as dis-ease. The prefix “dis” relates to the opposite of something or the absence of, which would then give us the definition of the word disease as being the opposite or absence of ease. Ease, as we are probably all aware, is the state of comfort and well-being. Anything that is labeled as disease is a condition that causes a lack of comfort or that which causes pain and suffering, but all conditions are changeable or transmutable through our words, deeds, and / or actions. Conditions are created by each of us through our decisions and the choices we make each moment of life. Every physical condition we experience here on earth was once a mere vibrational thought, an idea, or abstract concept, which appeared in our mind through a variety of channels such as: our environment, memories, hopes, dreams, and spiritual belief or relationship with our gods. These thoughts once created in our mind were given energy through our concentrated focus, and if we then experienced an emotional response to that which we were contemplating, we propelled it into the physical realm and manifested it in our life experience through continued energetic focus, perhaps by vocalizing our concerns with others or by sharing our hopes about the desired outcome, and through conscious or unconscious actions and behaviors that would encourage the manifestation of this condition, regardless of whether the condition would be a pleasant or unpleasant experience for us. We made the choice to give it our energy.
So if I were to agree with the statement that Addiction is a Disease, I would adamantly argue that it is a dis-ease that was created by Choice.
To imply that there are conditions that we experience, which are beyond our control is to believe that we live on a planet where our personal power can be and is snatched away from us … and by what? Randomness and circumstance? I don’t believe that either of those concepts exists because as I have stated, I believe that each of us make choices and decisions that dictate the life we experience. Once we make a decision there are consequences … cause and effect. We are not victims of circumstance. In fact, I do not believe there are victims. There is no one to “blame” for our life experience. There is no one to blame for the condition of our life. There is no judgment, no good or bad except in our own perception of what we are experiencing. Does this experience benefit me or hinder me?
Each of us is an empowered co-Creator, but many of us are unaware of just how much power we hold within us, how much potential we actually possess waiting to be used to birth our intentions in this present lifetime. We are each a part of All-There-Is. Once you recognize this, you will come to understand that at your fingertips is the power that created the Universe. Damn! Isn’t that amazing?! Why would anyone want to disregard this fact? I just don’t fathom the reasoning for doing so. Do you? To say that, “Addiction is not a Choice. It’s a Disease” is to willfully disempower each of us. It implies that we have no control over our own thoughts, words, and behaviors. It implies that there are forces beyond us that control our lives regardless of how much we may try to change it and if you had a small percentage of a chance to transmute the energy that is your life experience, you would need a cure or a treatment for that dis-ease. Isn’t that what is believed about cancer? Diabetes? Heart disease? You can’t cure any of those on your own, if you can cure them at all. You need a physician or it’s just something that is unchangeable in your DNA. Personally, I believe that each of us when facing life experiences or conditions that we have created for ourselves, are able to find support and help in others when deciding to shift the momentum of what we’ve unintentionally or intentionally created, however it is ultimately our own decision to actually manifest it in our life. Everything comes down to our own choices, our own decisions. It comes down to you.
So, what do you want for yourself? A life where you are empowered and are able to make decisions and choices for yoruself or a life where you are a victim of someone or something else? Which do you choose?
And that person will ask me, “Why would anyone choose to be addicted to heroin?” or “Why would anyone choose to be molested by their father?” or “Why would anyone choose to be gay?”
My response to those questions is, “I don’t know. I am not that individual.”
I can assume that each of us chooses life experiences for spiritual growth, so that each of us (the totality of who we are including the non-physical part of us) can learn and through that learned experience aid in the expansion of All-There-Is, which each of us are a part of. We are manifestations of All-There-Is, also called God or The Universe or God Herself or Creator or … whatever you call the creating force of the cosmos. But, this is just an assumption on my part and I cannot speak for each individual human being, I can only inform you of my own experiences even the ones that were not pleasant. There is always something for me to learn and understand even through the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual suffering I encounter in this lifetime.
With this understanding if I were to answer the question, “Why would anyone choose to be addicted to heroin?” I would respond, “In order to learn something about themselves and the nature of humankind.” And this reason, my friends, is a choice, whether it is a conscious decision or something that is decided unconsciously – it is still a choice.
Let me now address the word disease in the billboard. The word disease can be broken down to be read as dis-ease. The prefix “dis” relates to the opposite of something or the absence of, which would then give us the definition of the word disease as being the opposite or absence of ease. Ease, as we are probably all aware, is the state of comfort and well-being. Anything that is labeled as disease is a condition that causes a lack of comfort or that which causes pain and suffering, but all conditions are changeable or transmutable through our words, deeds, and / or actions. Conditions are created by each of us through our decisions and the choices we make each moment of life. Every physical condition we experience here on earth was once a mere vibrational thought, an idea, or abstract concept, which appeared in our mind through a variety of channels such as: our environment, memories, hopes, dreams, and spiritual belief or relationship with our gods. These thoughts once created in our mind were given energy through our concentrated focus, and if we then experienced an emotional response to that which we were contemplating, we propelled it into the physical realm and manifested it in our life experience through continued energetic focus, perhaps by vocalizing our concerns with others or by sharing our hopes about the desired outcome, and through conscious or unconscious actions and behaviors that would encourage the manifestation of this condition, regardless of whether the condition would be a pleasant or unpleasant experience for us. We made the choice to give it our energy.
So if I were to agree with the statement that Addiction is a Disease, I would adamantly argue that it is a dis-ease that was created by Choice.
To imply that there are conditions that we experience, which are beyond our control is to believe that we live on a planet where our personal power can be and is snatched away from us … and by what? Randomness and circumstance? I don’t believe that either of those concepts exists because as I have stated, I believe that each of us make choices and decisions that dictate the life we experience. Once we make a decision there are consequences … cause and effect. We are not victims of circumstance. In fact, I do not believe there are victims. There is no one to “blame” for our life experience. There is no one to blame for the condition of our life. There is no judgment, no good or bad except in our own perception of what we are experiencing. Does this experience benefit me or hinder me?
Each of us is an empowered co-Creator, but many of us are unaware of just how much power we hold within us, how much potential we actually possess waiting to be used to birth our intentions in this present lifetime. We are each a part of All-There-Is. Once you recognize this, you will come to understand that at your fingertips is the power that created the Universe. Damn! Isn’t that amazing?! Why would anyone want to disregard this fact? I just don’t fathom the reasoning for doing so. Do you? To say that, “Addiction is not a Choice. It’s a Disease” is to willfully disempower each of us. It implies that we have no control over our own thoughts, words, and behaviors. It implies that there are forces beyond us that control our lives regardless of how much we may try to change it and if you had a small percentage of a chance to transmute the energy that is your life experience, you would need a cure or a treatment for that dis-ease. Isn’t that what is believed about cancer? Diabetes? Heart disease? You can’t cure any of those on your own, if you can cure them at all. You need a physician or it’s just something that is unchangeable in your DNA. Personally, I believe that each of us when facing life experiences or conditions that we have created for ourselves, are able to find support and help in others when deciding to shift the momentum of what we’ve unintentionally or intentionally created, however it is ultimately our own decision to actually manifest it in our life. Everything comes down to our own choices, our own decisions. It comes down to you.
So, what do you want for yourself? A life where you are empowered and are able to make decisions and choices for yoruself or a life where you are a victim of someone or something else? Which do you choose?
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