Drinking alcohol is childish.
It’s a bold claim, perhaps but true too.
Because only children behave in a way which gives no thought to the future.
Children do not have the capacity to think in the long term. They do what they feel like in the present moment, and can’t even conceptualise how their current behaviour may impact their future life.
And that’s perfect.
For children.
But when adults behave in the same way it’s not so good.
When adults ignore all the scientific studies on how alcohol leads to cancer and disease and relationship breakdowns and all sorts of negative results, they are behaving like children; giving no thought to the future harm they are doing to themselves by drinking alcohol now.
And I have been that adult child.
I have been an adult with a childish approach to my own self-sabotage: poisoning myself slowly—and often quickly—with alcohol, also known as ethanol.
But no one calls it ethanol. Ethanol sounds too clinical; too ‘adult’.
And it doesn’t sound fun either.
From ‘Health and cancer risks associated with low levels of alcohol consumption’, The Lancet, Medical Journal
But alcohol has been made to sound fun. In our culture it is largely celebrated as being a very ‘adult’ thing to do.
Alcohol has been made to look like fun too, in all the movies and TV programs where it is product placed into the hands of heroes and heroines and people just like you and me who are constantly drinking at birthday parties, romantic dates in fancy restaurants, Christmas and other religious holidays and celebrations; according to the media alcohol is everywhere in our society.
And so is the childish behaviour of seeking short-term excitement with no thoughts about the long-term damage.
Maybe it’s time we all grew up a little?
Or maybe it’s just my time to grow up?
I’ve already cut down my drinking to a place where I’m drinking less and less alcohol, as each week goes by.
And sometimes months go by without me touching a drop. But I am learning what works best for me is to take one day at a time.
And today I feel like making not drinking my new normal.
Today I am open to a totally alcohol free life.
Today I am behaving like the adult I am.
And leaving behind childish ways.
PS. If you are ready to cut down your alcohol consumption, or maybe move on completely from drinking I am doing a live guided meditation/hypnosis based on my new binaural affirmation theta hypnosis, ‘Alcohol Free Life’.
It is FREE to join the Zoom and if you email me at ben@grant-empowerment.com I’ll send you the link. It’s this weekend and I’m offering multiple times so you can find one that suits wherever you are in the world.