What am I saying here? Well… What is the first thing you would think about if I asked you to tell me what is happening in the world today? I would imagine that the majority of people would reference the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19). How it has wreaked havoc on our everyday lives. How it has devastated lives. How no matter where we go, we are bound to hear someone talking about something related to it. How everyone has an opinion about how it should be addressed. Because of this current event, the circumstances in our lives have been impacted dramatically.
“Yeah, so what is this muse you speak of?” you might ask. A muse is something that causes us to think deeply about the specific thing, person, situation, etc.… A muse can also be a source of inspiration for an artist, author, poet, musician, etc… So, in this instance, I found myself thinking deeply about our current events and circumstances and was inspired. How can such a dreadful experience be inspiring? Good question! This is where the “metaphorically speaking” piece comes in. As I was deep in thought about our current events and circumstances, I began to compare them to that of a person who suffers from issues with addiction.
“WHAT”?!.. Yes, hear me out. Consider yourself (a person with addiction issues) as the world and your addiction as the Carona Virus. Up until the addiction manifested, your life was manageable. Maybe you had some bad breaks, but you were always able to find a way to get by. Then, slowly you started experiencing some terrible circumstances. You began feeling symptoms of withdrawal. You started waking up and craving the source of your addiction. You couldn’t go to sleep without indulging in the source of your addiction. At this point, life is getting difficult, but it is still manageable. Then, BOOM! Something drastic happens, you lose your job, get arrested, lose custody of your children, etc…
Now your addiction has wreaked havoc on your life. It is the main cause of your devastation. Wherever you go, whatever you do, it is always on your mind. You hear everyone telling you different things about your addiction. Some people judge you. Some people encourage you. Others ignore you. Almost everyone tells you that you need to quit. Regardless, your addiction has impacted the circumstances of your life dramatically. Now you can’t drive, see your children, or go to work.
Now your addiction has wreaked havoc on your life. It is the main cause of your devastation. Wherever you go, whatever you do, it is always on your mind. You hear everyone telling you different things about your addiction. Some people judge you. Some people encourage you. Others ignore you. Almost everyone tells you that you need to quit. Regardless, your addiction has impacted the circumstances of your life dramatically. Now you can’t drive, see your children, or go to work.
So where do you go from there? Well, let’s go back to our metaphor. What has the world done when it’s circumstances have been dramatically impacted? Take action! Do not wait for your addiction to ruin you. Sure it has devastated you, but it hasn’t won yet! Don’t ignore your symptoms! Seek help! Avoid risky situations! Do research! Talk to people that have overcome similar issues! Focus on remaining positive and keep hope and faith. Just like the world, you have experienced adversity before. Maybe not at this magnitude, but just like the world, you will not give up! Today you can, metaphorically speaking, use current events and circumstances as your muse to remain sober!
(Photo by Markus Spiske )