We are masters of our destiny! Perhaps we are ruled by urges and impulses and have the liberty to pick and choose our pleasures. On that subject someone once said to me”moderation in everything including moderation”. It made sense to me and leaves the door open the odd time rule break. A ‘guilty pleasure’ in moderation seems okay. Once in awhile enjoyable , left unchecked is an addictive habit that takes over. What is it about the things we love to enjoy as a treat, become our weaknesses? How is it that the pleasure that was our own little secret becomes the force behind the idea that it is harmful and possibly have fatal consequences?
In my childhood a friend referred to cigarettes as ‘coffin nails’ he went on to say that each cigarette was another nail in your coffin and would shorten your life by a day. These are the thoughts that perpetuate the myth spoken often enough become true, even though at that time smoking was not considered dangerous and cancer was a rare disease.
In some cultures tobacco is a power plant and used in ceremony. Discovered in the colonies became an attractive habit not associated with a spiritual ceremony but as a recreational pleasure. The nicotine in the tobacco, a mild poison, causes the body to smoke more in order to reduce the cravings, without control eventually the body is overwhelmed. This is not just about smoking there are as many different addictions as there are people.
The early symptoms of illness are generally mild, a headache, a twinge, a rash, sometimes directly affiliated with the habit, at that point easily curable, stop the habit the symptoms go, restart and they return. This is where awareness is important, either our own self-awareness or the knowledge and advice of a holistic practitioner will keep us safe.The point is the lessons we learn have a silver lining; better health, vitality and the freedom of choice.