🍴Food for Thought: What Deserves My Energy?

Some things in this world understandably provoke anger, and sometimes even righteous indignation.

Decades ago, cigarette companies developed remarkably sophisticated ways of marketing an addictive product. Marlboro, for example, was originally marketed largely to women, and back in the 1920’s, even offering red-tipped “Beauty Tips” designed so lipstick marks wouldn’t show as much. Years later, the same brand was transformed into the rugged Marlboro Man.

Today, gambling companies have technology available that tobacco advertisers of that era could hardly have imagined. Data, algorithms, personalized advertising driven by AI, phones in our pockets, and instant access can all make an already powerful product even harder for some people to escape.

I can certainly understand some righteous indignation about that. I’ve felt it myself.

But I’ve also learned that being justified in my anger doesn’t necessarily mean that continuing to feed it is good for me. As the saying goes, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

I only have so much psychological, emotional, and spiritual energy in a day. Where do I want to spend it?

I sometimes think of it like eating a meal. I can only consume so much. If I fill up on things that leave me agitated, resentful, fearful, or powerless, I naturally have less room for what actually nourishes me, strengthens me, and is a whole lot more enjoyable to take in.

For me, that might mean recovery meetings, gratitude, exercise, meaningful work, prayer, good relationships, helping someone else, changing what I watch or scroll, or simply doing something enjoyable that has absolutely nothing to do with gambling.

None of that requires pretending the problem isn’t real or excusing anyone or anything either. It just means I get to decide how much of me I continue to give it.

I can be completely right about what is wrong and still spend too much of myself on it.

Sometimes I’d rather leave room for dessert. 😊

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