Understanding Seasons in one’s life
WHAT TO DO IF YOU NO LONGER FIND JOY IN SMOKING WEED
As human beings, we are constantly evolving and growing, our perspectives and preferences shifting like the seasons. What we once adored with a burning passion can become a source of cringe-worthy embarrassment just a few years down the line. The “man bun” or “top knot” hairstyle that seemed so effortlessly cool in our 20s might make us shake our heads in disbelief at our former selves once we hit 30.
This ever-changing nature of our likes and dislikes is not limited to trivial matters of fashion or trends. Even our stance on more substantive issues like cannabis consumption can undergo a metamorphosis as we navigate the different seasons of our lives.
In our youth, the thrill of rebellion and the lure of altered states may have made cannabis an appealing indulgence. But as we mature and take on more responsibilities, our priorities can shift. What was once a harmless pastime may come to be seen as a vice that no longer aligns with our current values or lifestyle.
The key is to understand and embrace the fact that these shifts are natural and healthy. Our ability to re-evaluate our choices, shedding what no longer serves us and embracing new perspectives, is a sign of growth and self-awareness. It is counterproductive to cling rigidly to past preferences or to become an evangelist for the changes we have made, shouting them from the rooftops as some grand achievement.
True evolution lies in a quiet self-acceptance, internalizing our victories and implementing the changes we deem necessary to become the best versions of ourselves. Judging our past selves with contempt or clinging to outdated habits out of a sense of stubborn nostalgia serves no purpose.
The path to wisdom and contentment is paved with the ability to flow with the seasons of our lives, savoring each phase while allowing space for the inevitable transformations that await around the next bend.
Here’s a 500 word section titled “Seasons Change Us”:
The tides of our lives ebb and flow, carrying us through ever-shifting seasons that profoundly impact our habits, preferences, and even core aspects of our identity. In my tumultuous teens, I found myself awash in a sea of experimentation, indulging in a multitude of mind-altering substances. However, two particular drugs – alcohol and benzodiazepines – threatened to drag me into depths from which I may never have returned.
While the myriad psychedelic trips I embarked upon carried their own risks, it was the siren song of these two pernicious vices that proved the most fatally alluring. Their grip was insidious, their consequences potentially devastating. It would take a seismic shift in my relationship with intoxicants to pull me back from the brink.
As I entered my early twenties, my body betrayed me, rebelling against the alcohol that had once flowed so freely. A mere two or three beers was enough to leave me feeling hungover and wretched even as the drinks were being consumed. This bodily rejection coincided with a self-imposed hiatus from cannabis that lasted a couple of years. But as my seasons changed, so too did my needs and perspectives.
Suddenly, cannabis revealed itself as a viable alternative – one that provided many of the benefits I had previously sought from alcohol without the brutal physical toll. It was more accessible, more affordable, and enabled me to remain functional in a way booze no longer could. With a philosophical shrug, I re-integrated this old friend into my life, and cannabis has remained a steady companion through the decades that followed.
Will I continue consuming cannabis until I am old and grey? Perhaps, or perhaps not. The honest truth is that I cannot say for certain. What I can state with conviction is that, for now, I embrace and enjoy it. The growing, processing, and experimenting with this ancient plant has become part of my identity as a professed psychonaut.
However, that identity – like all aspects of my being – is fluid and impermanent. I do not cling to any single role or habit, no matter how deeply engrained. If life’s changing seasons demand that I alter my relationship with cannabis – or any other passion or vice – in order to better align with my highest ideals, then so it must be. Even this herb that has been a source of healing and companionship through troubled times could find itself repurposed or set aside entirely.
This fundamental openness to change, this willingness to evolve with the seasons, is perhaps the most critical lesson we can learn. By accepting the transient nature of all states – and by cultivating the mindful awareness required to recognize when a shift is required – we preclude ourselves from becoming enslaved by obsessions, whether chemical or philosophical. Remaining grounded and in control of our lives demands this existential flexibility. Yet its rewards are profound: the freedom to blossom fully in each new season, embracing every fleeting encounter and untying every knot that threatens to constrain our boundless spirits.
For many, cannabis transcends its chemical properties, becoming an intrinsic part of one’s identity and culture. Much like the tribalism that emerges around favorite TV shows or sports teams, marijuana can foster a sense of community, rituals, and shared experiences that shape our personalities.
This integration of cannabis into our very sense of self is what makes the prospect of “leaving it” so daunting for some. The questioning arises: “Who am I without weed?” However, the answer is always simple – you are still fundamentally yourself, cannabis or no cannabis. Your core being exists independent of any single habit or interest.
Nonetheless, loved ones may start encouraging you to quit, while devoted tokers insist you should continue indulging. In truth, neither perspective is universally correct, as your relationship with cannabis is unique and personal. Only you can determine if it has become more burdensome than beneficial in your current life season.
If you find yourself grappling with that question, if the perceived downsides of cannabis are outweighing the upsides, consider taking a temporary break as an experiment. A month-long tolerance break, or even three months entirely abstaining, can provide invaluable perspective. View it not as quitting forever, but as an opportunity to see how your life may change without it.
For those worried about withdrawal symptoms, rest assured they are typically mild and short-lived. A day or two of sluggishness is often the extent of the physical distress. Practices like yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises can help rebalance your endocannabinoid system swiftly.
The key is to not approach this potential change from a place of fear or inflexibility. Remain open-minded and recognize that just as you once chose to partake in cannabis, you can always choose to stop or re-integrate it down the line. By simply allowing yourself the freedom to experience life without it, at least for a short period, you open yourself to greater self-knowledge.
Perhaps you’ll rediscover cannabis and your reasons for using it with fresh eyes and a reinvigorated zest. Or maybe this temporary parting will reveal that your path has diverged, and outside of the identity-level attachments, you have moved beyond the need or want for it. Either perspective is valid and valuable.
The ultimate message is this: do not be afraid to evolve. Your preferences, your habits, and even pivotal pieces of how you define yourself can change with life’s seasons. Embracing that evolution, not clinging to rigid stasis, is the path to crafting your most fulfilling journey.
At the end of the day, the path to self-actualization requires that we claim our personal power and feel free to lean into discomfort. The way of true self-discovery is rarely comfortable, but it is always rewarding and insightful in ways that transcend temporary unease.
If you find yourself at a crossroads with cannabis, no longer deriving the same enjoyment or benefits as you once did, do not be afraid to let it go. However, there is no need to loudly broadcast this evolution to the world. Allow the change to manifest organically in your life without becoming an evangelist for quitting. Show through your grounded presence and quiet confidence, but do not instruct others to follow suit. We each walk our own winding roads.
The core lesson is this: We all experience seasons in our lives where our likes, dislikes, priorities, and even core pieces of how we define ourselves shift and morph. This is not something to be fought against, but an immutable flow to be embraced. Do not swim upstream resisting the universal currents of change. We cannot simply “try” to go with the flow – we either surf the waves with intention or we are dragged under by the riptides of resistance.
There is profound power in radical self-acceptance and an openness to change. By allowing yourself to evolve fluidly through life’s seasons, shedding what no longer serves while remaining anchored in your deepest values, you open yourself to profound growth and an increasingly refined embodiment of your highest ideals.
Whether cannabis remains a part of your journey or is carefully set aside, what matters most is that you are taking the steps to become more authentically yourself. That is the sticky bottom line – an ever-deepening journey into the essence of who you are beyond the ephemeralities of habits or cultural attachment. Embrace the courage to evolve, discard that which limits you, and lean confidently into your most empowered and actualized self.
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- Source: http://cannabis.net/blog/opinion/what-if-you-no-longer-find-joy-in-smoking-weed-understanding-the-seasons-in-ones-life
