If you go into a cave, you're going to find a bear...
It's a theory I learned from a psychologist years ago and a principle I've applied to many of my life choices. I've applied it to overcoming my drug addiction and alcohol abuse. It's also something I've often used to help others understand what it takes to overcome addiction.
Basically, it means if you go to the places your addiction lived, if you hangout with the people you drank with etc... You'll find your cravings come rushing back, even if you've been clean for awhile. For some, they won't even THINK about wanting a cigarette until they are driving the stretch of road where they'd have their pre-work smoke.
For me, I had to leave, move out of the city where my drug networks existed! It was a huge change, but my life is better for it. Had I stayed, I'd be dead.
It hurt to leave, it hurt to go away from all that I had come to know, it physically hurt to become sober. Cocaine withdrawal made for a rough month. But after that month, the clouds parted. The chemicals were out of my system and my eyes adjusted to the light outside of the cave. But the adjustment hurt.
On this journey I'm on, pain is always present on some level! Progress is never without pain. My most recent pain is something called saddle sore...
Every time I ride, I get sore and swollen on my right Ischial Tuberosity... I say Ischial Tuberosity because it sound a whole lot better than "My butt hurts."
It happens because of several factors. Some, in my case, include friction with the seat, bike seat position (bike fit) and having a big butt...
I ride and it hurts. I adjust how I sit trying to find comfort. I don't quit. In any change we make, we adjust whats not working to find comfort, or a better way of doing things.
You don't throw away the marriage because it's not as comfortable as it once was. You talk. You work together to heal the broken thing.
You don't quit training because your butt hurts. You adjust until it stops hurting. You try new things because if you keep things the same, you enter the cave and find a bear.
Today, I found comfort on my bike seat! I don't know if it's permanent, but theres hope. Hope includes setbacks, but no matter what change we are making, no matter the goal, when we get a glimpse of hope, we should rejoice.
It means we aren't struggling in vain! It re-introduces purpose. It reminds us someday, our butts will stop hurting!!
We must give ourselves credit for the victories, even the small ones. We must do so with such vigor that when the failures come and they will come, we can laugh them off, learn from them and try again... and again.
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