I used to smoke weed three times a day. I thought it gave me clarity. A new frame of mind. I was convinced it made me calmer. More at peace. It was easy to access. It was the perfect way to get into a positive mindset. But I quickly grew dependent.
In my first year in college I smoked every day. And by the end of my second semester, I’d gone crazy. Because here’s the thing about any addiction.
Be it drugs, food, work, sex, gambling, you name it.
These are emotional responses.
We all seek something deeper.
A higher purpose and a stronger connection.
But in life, we’re often met with pain and suffering.
So we use these addictions to mask our pain and simulate connection.
They become fragile bandaids to the wounds that continue to grow rapidly below the surface.
And for me, the drugs stopped working very early on.
So when I was 20, I decided to quit.
I replaced drugs with discomfort.
And discomfort, I soon realized, is a far different type of addiction.
It doesn’t grow stale.
It doesn’t make you weak in the long term.
Quite the opposite.
The positive effects are permanent.
The high lasts far longer than any other addiction possibly could.
The reason is, discomfort doesn’t cover up your problems.
It goes right to their core.
It opens your wounds wide for you to see.
And forces you to go through them.
I have gained more peace from my sober struggle than from any drug I’ve ever done. I have learned more about myself on a painful 5-hour bike ride than I ever did smoking a joint. I have gained more wisdom from the volatility of starting a business than the endless hours spent high on a couch. Unlike other drugs, discomfort requires that you meet it halfway.
It needs you to do the work.
It demands vulnerability and courage.
And in return, it will give you what you were looking for all along...
A higher purpose and a deeper connection with yourself.
Becoming someone you can trust.
So, my recommendation to you is that you take a daily dose.
