One of the things I find extremely scary and dangerous is addiction. There are different types of addiction, while some are simple to control. All you may need to do is read self-help books or go through motivational websites on the internet, others are far from mild and you may need to consult other people for help. One of the worst kinds of addiction is drug addiction. Recently, I came across a video of an upcoming musician who went from grace to grace. The first thing I saw when I saw the transformation was “My lord, how did this happen?” The moment you start figuring your life out is when the devil comes to hunt. If you're not careful and strong, you'll become the devil’s meal.
As humans, we can get addicted to literally anything. It could even be something as simple as telling lies. There are some people who have become experts in telling lies. They lie perfectly on the spot. You know sometimes, we tell lies to get out of a difficult situation. Even then, the lie may not be smooth. But for some people, it rolls off smoothly on their tongues. Telling lies is also similar to smoking. You smoke two cigarettes in the morning, and then in the next hour, you take another two. The next day, you increase it to three. Next week, it will be 5. Same thing with lying. You tell a lie, and then you have to tell another lie to back up that lie, and then you have to tell another lie to back up the backup lie. It is like an endless cycle.
As I mentioned, addiction doesn't necessarily mean you cannot do without a strong thing, it could also be something as little as your cell phone. Looking back, I remember my childhood days when I'd frown over every little thing. I don’t know why I always did that, but I guess every little thing pissed me off. I would always frown while washing plates, doing the laundry, and doing other chores. Soon enough, it became a part of me. One day, someone said something to me that changed everything completely. He said, “You don’t look good whenever you frown” and when he said that, I smiled immediately. Then, he complimented my smile. Since then I started making a conscious effort to stop frowning. Of course, it wasn't easy, but I got the hang of it eventually.
If you're dealing with an addiction, probably one that doesn't need external help (like drug addiction), you're actually in the best position to help yourself. The first thing you should tell yourself is that you're in serious and hot soup and that you need help. Then, you need to find something that'd motivate you to quit your addiction. Growing up, the kids in my compound were always using abusive words. It was a normal thing that the parents didn't even care whenever they insulted themselves. It was not just insults, but curses too. I didn't like that they cursed themselves over every little thing. So, I devised a plan to make them stop.
At that time, I was earning little money by styling/making hair for people. So whenever the kids don’t curse or insult each other, I buy things for them. Whenever I was around them, they made sure they used positive words. Even when someone pisses them off, they always did well to control their words. Of course, they were doing it because of the things I bought for myself, but eventually, it became a part of them. All we need is motivation or a push. Something to look up to and keep us going.
Thanks for reading through.
Images used are mine