Addiction is a vice and passion a virtue, but only the wise understand.
Addiction ends in regrets and passion in the new high.
Drawing the line between addiction and passion is essential. It shapes a life worth living or just living.
Addiction
Addiction is the unstoppable desire to do something for pleasure. It continues without check until harms manifest in one form or another.
It is a negative activity.
It provides windows of comfort. It is free from immediate threats. There is no accountability till the ills are identified.
Passion
Passion is an intense desire to achieve something and to make an impact.
It is a positive activity. Longer consistency is the proof of passion.
Hard work is the route on which passion travels.
"Passion will move men beyond themselves, beyond their shortcomings, beyond their failures." Joseph Campbell
Arguments
There was an argument about whether some specific activities were addictions or passions a few days ago in my presence. One side was in favor of skill formation, and the other side was interested in multiplying money when in the 20s.
Balance of both is a good equation, but arguments start when attraction is low towards skill formation and empowering a career.
The youngsters were not in a mood to agree freely that a career must score high in their age as compared to multiplying money on priority through schemes in operation.
The scenarios
The more disturbing scenario in the present is the attachment of people, irrespective of age, gender, occupation, culture, and purpose, even at the cost of making careers, creativity, solving problems, and learning social skills.
Digital tools in hands are more than necessities in all walks of life."The release of dopamine in our brains is the one constant behind all addictions," says Damon Zahariades.
At one point in time, I was addicted to an indoor game just to win. Incidentally, I was a loser on most of the days, and it was a kind of humiliation for me. I devoted more time to that indoor game, but it was mostly disappointing.
After losing one hour per day for two months, I came out of this syndrome and invested this time in other productive work.
Addictions are common, but forms vary from person to person and group to group.
Onlookers of the game are under addiction, while players in the field are filled with passion for a grand performance. For viewers, it is a moment of joy and an opportunity to comment for and against.
For players, it is a challenge. It is not for pleasure. They are to learn in case of winning and losing either.
Single-minded concentration on one thing can be defined as passion.
The point is how to say "no" to addiction before it’s too late.
1. It is self-realization that induces someone to say no to addictions like alcohol, smoking, being in bad company, faulty eating habits, and many others.
2. It is a self-evaluation of what has been done and what the result is. Unproductive and negative activities are sources of regret and never bear goodness.
2. It is self-control that works wonders, irrespective of the nature and duration of staying with addictions.
Schedule work for a day and adhering to it saves a considerable amount of time being wasted on smartphones, gossiping, and meeting friends without a purpose.
3. It is a change of environment that helps to say goodbye to all bad habits. People going into a new environment reorganize everything, mostly keeping addictions under control or deleting them in full.
4. It is the elimination of indiscipline that facilitates more goal-oriented performance, like preparation for the next competitive exam by the students and devoting maximum time for personal and professional development. All records confirm this direct relationship between discipline and performance.
Discipline is a rope that allows the aspirants to get to their destination.
5. Addiction is haphazard and whimsical activities. It needs to shake up and reset daily routines.
6. Learn to live on your conditions—having alignment with your big picture in mind. Then there is no time to waste.
