Gidda Fix

Everyone does it… It’s not marijuana, it’s not alcohol, it’s not those juicy baby back ribs, or a new toy, or front-row seats at the concert. It’s that dopamine fix, and we all hunger for it. Yup, “Everyone must get stoned.” But to be more accurate, PAID. We want to feel … rewarded, and for what we feel we deserve of course.

Whether our fix is a walk in nature, chocolate cake, shopping, or hitting that bong - It’s a quite natural human thing. A daily nature walk, by the way, is probably one of those “vices” that produce nothing but positive outcomes. However, allowing an unhealthy amount of pastries, junk food or intoxicants to become our daily habit is another matter altogether. Everyone has their own reasons that lead to unproductive, daily habits… Things didn’t go as we wanted, leaving us feeling empty, or tough times hit us where it really hurts hard. “Getting paid” then seems like the quickest, most effective route to take, giving us immediate, but temporary relief. Before we know it, what started as adding something tasty to balance the sour in life, unintentionally becomes a necessity. And like the lyrics of that song by Mutemath, “Everyone has their obsession, consuming thoughts, consuming time…”

A very wise business mentor once told me, “Ken, spend most of your time, energy and intellect on the things that give you the most return. And don’t waste too much time on the things that don’t matter much.” That’s good advice. Unfortunate it is for the person who spends their entire life trying to get a proper fix, when all they ever really needed was to feel valued, wanted, and loved.

So go ahead, get a fix, and even celebrate it. But then, make an effort, take the time, to help someone else get a truly “proper fix” - simply by letting them know that you SEE them, that you HEAR them, and that you VALUE them. It’s easy… “All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.”