Nine Days: #9

Nine Days to Create Nine New Habits

(See footnote at bottom for introduction and previous days’ reflections)

Day 9: Replace the habit of OVERINDULGENCE with the virtue of MODERATION

OVERINDULGENCE: Yes, it may be food, alcohol, drugs, sex, television, new apps, shopping, Angry Birds or football, we all have our secret delights. But overindulgence, also called gluttony, means we consume more than is necessary. We never seem to reach satiation no matter how much we take in. The seeking of more thrills, more new experiences, more diversions becomes an endless cycle. The desire to stay in a constant state of pleasure and stimulation can never be sustained.  We fear dropping into the black hole of boredom, the “no fun” zone. Life starts to feel superficial. We long for depth.

MODERATION sounds so adult, so parental, but the child within us needs to learn to deal with all of life – the highs and the lows. Restraint, judiciousness, sobriety are the counterpoints to overindulgence. Use them moderately. There is a fine balance between control and no control. There is value in each of them. Moderation asks you to stay awake to the tipping point between the two. When is pleasure an avoidance of pain? When is control a defense against the chaos of life?