After living 41 years on this earth, IÂ’ve finally realize everyone has problems and everyone needs a vice. Yes, I said needs a vice. Our lives are filled with unexpected bumps in the road, curveballs, misfortune, challenges, troubles, hardshipsÂ…the list goes on and on, call it whatever youÂ’d like. Some people hide these well while others appear to be drama driven and attention hungry. Whatever it is, however we act, we all need a vice to cope with life itself.
Vices come in all forms, some good and others unhealthy. To cope with lifeÂ’s curveballs, we gravitate towards what makes us feel the best and in the shortest time possible. Unfortunately, most of the time we turn to a vice having the shortest duration of pleasure often leaving us with an unhealthy lifestyle. Alcohol, nicotine, drugs (street and prescription), pornography, hatred, PRIDEÂ…the list goes on and on.
For a short period of time these unhealthy vices, which become addictions, rob us of what we are trying to cope withÂ….LIFE! We find an unhealthy vice that takes our mind off of dealing with difficult situations and we start to abuse. We allow the unhealthy vice, now called addiction, to control how we think, alter our actions and unfortunately wreck relationships with family and friends. When left unchecked or not corrected, they lead to an out-of-control death spiral. The impact may be quick or last a lifetime. Call it addiction purgatory.
Not all vices are bad or unhealthy though. To name just a few; working out, eating healthy, having faith in God and His son Jesus, volunteering, loving one another, long walks on the beachÂ…. there are certainly many, many more. What youÂ’ll find is these vices are different when compared to the unhealthy. They take effort, theyÂ’re not always easy to maintain and sometimes there is an associated cost. There can be a financial impact or even a lifestyle change, loss of unhealthy friendships and the cost of being vulnerable. The importance of a healthy vice, they can be sustained for a longer duration and offer higher rewards. LIFE is given a boost, family and friendships are stronger and thereÂ’s even the offering of eternal salvation.
Now to me. IÂ’ve been a Christian all my life, feel like matured into adulthood and know the difference between a healthy and unhealthy vice. This doesnÂ’t mean I wear a coat of armor and able to deflect lifeÂ’s curveballs. ItÂ’s actually the reverse. I became content with my life, family, and friends and took all of them for granted. I let my guard down, my armor penetrated, and allowed nicotine into my life and to grasp on. At first it was easy to control, IÂ’d chew only when playing golf or out in the woods hunting. It was relaxing. The thought of being in the same relaxed state when faced with one of lifeÂ’s challenges caused me to chew more and more.
In a short period of time my new found vice was out of control. I hid my wickedness, now MY addiction, from everyone. I was a ninja dipper, stealing time from family and friends to get a quick fix with no lasting impact. I would plan my day around dipping, my drive to and from work, making sure there was always a spitter and water bottle in my truck, etc. (you get the picture). Heck, every day I took a half dozen dumps just to sit for 15 minutes alone and have a chew. I was a disgrace and it was affecting my life and those around me.
It wasnÂ’t until a menÂ’s weekend with some guys from church to realize how this was wrecking my life. One of my buddies stopped chewing and told me about KTC. We talked about the freedom of not hiding a can or making up stories when a can was discovered (even in the wash). Most importantly we talked about the time wasted with family and how to get it back. How to be better husbands, fathers and a friend. It was time to get my life and relationships back.
The past 200 days have not been easy. IÂ’ve swapped out the unhealthy vice of nicotine, my addiction, with longer lasting sources of freedom. KTC and the brotherhood have played a huge factor in my quit. Changes in my spiritual life and relationship with Jesus have been the cornerstone to my quit.
I’d like to thank all of KTC, May ‘Fits of 2015 and Jesus Christ for the strength in my life journey of staying quit.
