The other day I was thinking of Jimmy Buffett's iconic Wasting Away Again in Margaritaville, and it made me ponder the many ways that alcohol abuse can lead us to waste so much of our lives. Some areas are more striking than others, of course, but it's truly amazing at how much damage alcohol can cause. Let's take just a brief look at some of the waste and destruction caused by alcoholism:
MONEY: Perhaps the most obvious waste related to alcohol is how much money we have spent on it. This really strikes home when you think of how this money could have been better spent on food, new clothes, buying a present for a loved one, or simply saving for a rainy day. If you have been a heavy drinker for a number of years, then the money you've wasted on alcohol could have easily bought a new car, a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, or been a substantial down payment on a beautiful home. How much money have you wasted on alcohol this year? Or over your lifetime? Wouldn't you rather have that right now sitting in a savings account?
TIME: A more insidious waste caused by alcohol is our time. Hours and hours, if not days and days, are wasted drinking instead of improving our lives. Alcohol abuse becomes very amotivational, as well. That is, instead of being motivated to do things in your life your time is instead spent either drinking or thinking about drinking. Remember, you BECOME what you spend your time on, and spending time on drinking is akin to planning to be an alcoholic.
ENERGY: A direct by-product of alcohol abuse is how is saps our energy ... morning, noon and night. The catch-22 of this situation is that alcohol itself often gives a short-term burst of energy as it is initially converted to sugar in the body. It is only when one begins to sober up again that he or she can appreciate what natural energy feels like.
YOUTH: Alcohol is literally robbing you of your youth, whether you realize it or not. It causes premature graying, bone loss, skin problems (including wrinkles and discoloration), and much more. It is perhaps the singularly WORST thing you can do to your physical appearance other than smoking. Just look around at those in your life who have drinking problems. Don't they look years older than they truly are? Unfortunately, so do you ... if you are a heavy drinker.
MIND: Alcohol eats away at your brain over time, and causes severe cognitive degeneration. Studies have shown that the brains of alcoholics weigh substantially less than the brains of those who don't drink, or drink very little. The good news is that your brain can begin to heal, and recover a substantial amount of cognitive ability as soon as you remove alcohol from your life.
BODY: Alcohol abuse causes your body to waste away from the inside out. There isn't one organ in your body that benefits from alcohol. Although some studies seem to indicate that one or two drinks a day is beneficial, there are MANY studies that show how harmful more than 3 drinks is. Listen to your body. Do you FEEL healthy on the inside?
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS: There is probably no more of a destructive habit to a healthy family than alcoholism. When a spouse has a drinking problem the ill-effects are felt in every area of the marriage.
SPIRITUALITY: Nothing else can blur the connection between you and your Creator quite like alcohol. It is the most insidious of drugs, for it dulls your spiritual side very slowly, over years and years. Why put up barriers between you and your Creator?
The bottom line is that even though you are wasting much of your life NOW, you can IMMEDIATELY begin to change for the better as soon as you stop drinking, or reduce your drinking to a bare minimum. Please take action NOW to get your life back under control. No matter how small of a step you take, it is imperative that you actually take that first step. Don't let alcohol keep you from being the best person you can be. Isn't it time that you CHANGE for the better, and let go of that which has been keeping you down?