I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

Things we have to do are not always things we have to do. They often lead me down a path of regret and not freedom. Addiction is one of those things. I used to smoke and have since quit. It wasn’t easy and I sometimes think stoicism makes it easier than it may seem. I’m a bit more susceptible to addictions because I have an analytical mind that is constantly going and think of how this or that can be improved and more efficient. The addiction comes from wanting to shut off that part of my brain. It feels good to not worry or think about things constantly. Almost like meditation. I’ve tried to incorporate meditation and that has helped and also felt pointless at times. I then take the easy way out using an addiction of some kind. The first step of course is that I’m aware of this happening.