Keep Smoking

My father smoked when I was growing up and I worried he would die. Eventually he ended up quitting, probably around the same time as President Obama. I remember my dad chuckling derisively when he heard that news. The message was that the president had an important job to do, and should do it whatever the cost to his personal health. In later years I developed a contrary ideal: that each area of one’s life should be maximized. Optimal health would support a vibrant career, surrounded by healthy relationships, made all the more enjoyable by financial independence and an impressive body. At least that was how this fantasy was sold to me.

In reality, attempts to minimize one’s “worst” impulses result in a flattening of all impulses. A foundation where different aspects of one’s life have been given equal care and attention is stable but limited. The fear is that, if some of these pillars drop, the entire structure will collapse. I’d like to posit that a few robust pillars will keep the entire structure raised, elevated beyond what would be possible with a more balanced approach.

There is a wisdom in smoking, a wisdom in emotional eating, a wisdom in staying up late. Coping strategies have been decried as pathological and immature, but this completely misses their utilitarian value. Obama smoked because it gave him something he wanted, it gave him a way to move through life and continue doing what was important to him. In retrospect my dad was right. Experiment with this yourself, allow some of the energy and attention that is going towards restriction to support other areas of your life. Let go of unsupportive ideals of perfection and watch your life grow - organically, messily, and vibrantly.