Are you addicted to your work?
Do you feel like you have to prove your worth by working really hard constantly?
It’s good to be passionate.
If you’re passionate and driven some people may say that you’re addicted.
The word addiction is used too freely these days.
It’s a strong word.
If you’re passionate about something, like your work that’s good.
If you’re addicted to your work then that’s not good.
Some professions are more addictive than others.
I trade the financial markets and that can become addictive, but I understand neuroscience and psychology. If you understand neuroscience and psychology the way that I do you then you won’t get addicted to trading, you’ll know when to stop.
The dopaminergic euphoria that you experience when you’re trading won’t take over your life, you’ll continue enjoying a wide range of activities as much as you enjoy trading.
I sing when I have time to, performing on stage is also very addictive, but if you do it once a week you’re not going to get addicted to it.
I write books and I run retreats, writing is not addictive it’s quite meditative actually.
Running retreats isn’t addictive it’s relaxing most of the time.
Some professions are more addictive than others.
Dopaminergic activities are more addictive, so if your daily duties are dopaminergic in nature then you’ll be more addicted to your job.
This addiction can make you more effective or less effective it depends on how stable you are to begin with.
If you are impressionable and desperate to please others all the time then you will be more susceptible to addictions.
Some employers take advantage of employees that are desperate to please and make a good impression.
Too much of anything is bad.
Balance is important.
In neuroscience they talk about thresholds, if you push yourself past your threshold too often then your nociception/pain threshold will be activated.
Dopaminergic euphoria is what gets people hooked, especially if you introduce it sporadically like they do at casinos.
Some people will reward you sporadically so that you remain addicted and desperate.
Others will reward you consistently, even if you make a mistake, they’ll still reward you because they’re not manipulative.
In this society it’s important to work hard sometimes, but a lot of people work hard because they don’t feel like they’re good enough.
You have to work hard because you want to, because you’re passionate about what you’re doing.
Going after your dreams requires, blood, sweat, tears, lonely nights, fear, sacrifice, judgement from others that don’t understand your mission, perseverance, late nights, early mornings, and constant learning and unlearning.
If you choose mediocrity, and you don’t chase your dreams then you’ll have to deal with those things forever.
If you choose your dreams and you pursue them with all your heart and all your mind then the pain will end one day and all the people that doubted you will suddenly decide that you were right all along and that they want to be your friend, life partner, or business partner.
They will come out of the woodwork after you’ve made the sacrifices, when things are easy they’ll come back into your life hoping for a free ride.
Only give your time, energy and attention to those people that were there for you when things were hard.
Anyone can be there when things are easy, but real true characters will be there for you when you’re up and when you’re down.
Always make time for people that have been there for you in your darkest hour.
Because they are the brightest lights and they will brighten up your sky forever if you let them!