A happy medium
The good thing about having an addictive personality is that you will succeed in whatever activity you choose because once you start and find out it makes you feel good, you keep at it no matter how hard it becomes. Like trading sleep for a workout, if you are an exercise freak who won’t settle for a day without exercising, regardless of how busy life gets. Alternatively, you could be one of those who’d rather smoke their dinner than eat it, given the choice between a pack of Malboro and a steak with fries.
The bad thing about having an addictive personality is that once you start doing something and see how well it makes you feel, you will keep at it no matter how hard it might become or how it makes you feel when the rush is over, until you do it again and the cycle continues.
Some people are practical, analytical. They take a hard look at the situation, push away the feelings and make the most rational decision. Others, we wouldn’t know what rationality means if it hit us on the face. People like that often do things without a lot of forethought because they are hot-blooded and impulsive, and only think about the consequences once they are totally involved and it’s already too late.
How awesome would it feel to be one of those lucky social smokers? I could be healthy (for the most part), with the added pleasure of that yummy-tasting cigarette after lunch or dinner, on one of those perfect Boise summer nights. My mid-year resolution is to work on this part of my personality. I already had to quit smoking (which after 20 years is a good thing, don’t get me wrong), but it would suck to have to quit other things I enjoy just because I am unable to find a happy medium.
