Today was a (painful) day of relaxing

A stroll to the beach, 

Sit in the garden
Swinging in the hammock
Napping. 

So. 

I did a workout, 
Threw stones,
Had a beer with dinner, 
Read a book. 

Because doing nothing, 

Is brutally hard to do. 

In fact, in a recent study participants were asked to spend 5 minutes in solitary confinement. 

and then asked to spend 5 minutes receiving intermittent electric shocks.

When ask which they would be most willing to endure again the overwhelming majority opted for electric shocks. 

We are, as a rule, stimulus seeking creatures. 

We jump from one stimulus to the next and our external lives tend to become a product of what that stimuli delivers. 

We dodge the negative stimuli and move towards the positive. 

That could be exercise and it's type
That could be food and it's type and frequency
That could be stimulants or depressants
It could be tv, phones, music, books. 

Every action offers stimulus and regardless of the consequence, them controlling us is not an ideal situation. 

It leaves us with withdrawal systems when we don't do it, injuries of excess, actions that choose us rather than us them, denial of reality in order to maintain them. In short, we become slaves. 

Which ain't cool. 

I have to keep wise to this because it's my thing. I have what we call an addictive personality, which is basically what we are describing here. 

Cigarettes, alcohol, company, work, phone, endurance exercise - I've been addicted to all and although each result in very different external stories none felt good. Or they did, the inability to not do them didn't. 

Fasting, meditation and exercise within my comfort zone, is how I practise not constantly responding to every stimulus. 

Freedom is when you choose how you spend your time. 

It's not about what your are doing, it's who you are when you are doing it. 

There's nothing wrong with alcohol, caffeine, technology, tv, junk food, health food the list is endless. 

Freedom is choosing to do something because you want to because it will enrich your life today. It is the choice that sits between stimulus and response. 

This moment of choice can be slowed down, expanded to allow rational thought to creep in. 

It is the sole power that will allow you to do what you say you want to do and experience what you say you want to experience and in turn achieve what you want to achieve. 

Without it, weight loss, Health, a good night sleep, good relationships, emotional control, a business you love - can all remain difficult to achieve. 

Ed Ley