The rewards inside the spiritual lifestyle are subtle and linked to lasting highs that are spread out and do not drop us in a hole. These highs are spiritual by nature; they even push feelings of charity to arise in our heart that will cause us to seek after scenery and beautiful conversations. These special rewards take diligence if they are to be captured; they require a zealous and consistent effort before a new awareness will grow within us that will lead us to crave these rewards.
But remember, we won’t crave this health reward if we don’t show diligence. Again, it becomes easy to get addicted to the pills and drink at the end of the night in front of the TV. The brain soon craves this reward of ease and comfort, which then creates the poor habit. That is why there are so many people that have bad habits compared to people with good habits. Pleasure is far easier to get addicted to than pain. And, let’s be honest, pain is linked to discipline. It’s painful to wake up early to exercise, read from your scriptures, and then go work an eight-hour day sober. But over time, the stability and accomplishment reward will be made apparent in our minds, and we will soon like our lives. We will crave responsibility and feelings of accomplishment from participating in a disciplined way of life that is free from fear and resentment. The health reward often means sacrifice, discomfort, and hard work before it can be captured.
The Pills Reward
Early in my recovery, I craved pills in the morning hours. The cue that triggered the craving was to feel alert and less depressed in the early morning hours. I wanted to be proactive and productive throughout the day, so my response was to take a pill, and the reward became me feeling productive and proactive. It could be six in the morning when I took the pill, and at 6: 30, it felt like it was high noon: I was now wide awake, happy, and talkative.
It goes something like this:
Cue: You wake up at 6 a.m. and feel stressed and depressed.
Craving: You want to feel alert and less depressed. You want to feel better about yourself and have a good, productive day.
Response: You take a pill.
Reward: You satisfy your craving to feel alert, less depressed, and better about yourself.
This type of pill reward, however, was easy to capture but could not last long and held high consequences.
The spiritual rewards are those linked to positive end results that are lasting and can be sustained over a lifetime. Pleasure choices are always fleeting with no arrival, like a dog chasing its tail, the user eventually becomes “past feeling” from the obsessive chase. Thus, their very desires end in misery, woe, and bondage because, by then, they are addicted to the Devil’s substances.
The Exercise Reward
Similarly, exercising at six in the morning brings the rewards of accomplishment, alertness, and a more energy-filled day. But again, these rewards aren’t as easily visible because of the uncomfortable work, discipline, and diligence that’s involved in the process of trying to capture these rewards, which means just trying it once will not suffice. Therefore, it will take diligence to the uncomfortable early morning exercise experience before the reward will be noticed. After a few weeks, you’ll capture a new awareness about these rewards. You’ll feel a new and impressive energy come inside you, which will feed your motivation (craving) to exercise at six in the morning. The rewards of feeling accomplished, proactive, and energized are now noticeable because you showed diligence.
It goes something like this:
Cue: You wake up at 6 a.m. and feel tired and somewhat depressed.
Craving: You want to feel alert and less depressed. You want to feel better about yourself and have a good, productive day.
Response: You train in the gym, even though you don’t want to. Afterward, you say a prayer, listen to uplifting music, read, and send out some healthy text messages.
Reward: You satisfy your craving to feel alert, less depressed, and better about yourself. You are now on track to have a good, productive day that is full of energy and positivity.
Nowadays, I crave the same proactive alertness in the morning, but I respond differently to capture the reward. Instead of popping a pill, I go train in the gym and capture a similar reward. Afterward, I feel amazing, alert, and talkative in the same way, only it lasts far longer and is linked to no harmful consequences.
However, the exercise habit takes diligence before the reward will be experienced. This means on the first, second, or even fourth try, the reward still might not be recognizable. But after a while of showing diligence to this early morning routine, a habit will get formed, and you’ll crave to go and train in the mornings. The reward will become a brighter and fuller day, where a unique energy and positivity surround you.
