“Whoa, you like to think that you’re immune to the stuff, oh yeah. It’s closer to the truth to say you can’t get enough. You know you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to love.” – Robert Palmer
“I want you to want me.
I need you to need me.
I’d love you to love me.” – Cheap Trick
“Oh, catch that buzz
Love is the drug I’m thinking of
Oh, can’t you see
Love is the drug for me.” – Roxy Music
Ah, the “wisdom” emanating from the bands of my youth!
We humans need two things. We are hard-wired to be known and to be loved. The fact is we want to be wanted. We want that feel-good dopamine rush that floods our system when we are in love, or even from the potential of being in love.
You’re going to have to face it, that every Facebook or LinkedIn post you make and especially comments made about your posts or your posts that are forwarded or liked, or a text message or tweet you get gives you that same shot of “love”. It’s a brief high that makes you feel really good. Momentarily at least.
Likewise, many of us are addicted to seminars of all types ranging from health to wealth, to career and faith. We subscribe and listen to podcasts, buy books, and subscribe to newsletters and blogs from the current gurus offering all types of help and offering brief pithy commentary for self-improvement. These too give us a shot of hope for the future, to a better self. You catch that buzz, momentarily, from that dopamine rush.
None of this is necessarily a bad thing. Unless….
Unless you don’t turn that knowledge into action. We are awash in information and too many of us Catholics, like everyone else, are stuck in receive-only mode. This is a huge mistake as we weren’t created by God just to receive. We were created to create, to give, to contribute to the benefit of the common good, to offer love, and to be a light in our dark world.
I think what we see happening all around the world and the direction it’s going is caused by too many of us being “addicted to love”, a kind of selfish love, when we go to that seminar, that talk, that inspirational speaker, that next podcast, read that next Facebook post. Yet, that dopamine burns out of the body often before we get to the exit of the conference hall or turn off the podcast or close the book. It’s killing our productivity, our potential for greatness. We can become trapped in our bubble of comfort and that keeps us from being the leaven in the world we were called to be. Ironically the very things we are addicted to can keep us from being transformed into Christ’s likeness and holiness.
Turning all that knowledge into action takes intention and discipline, muscle, blood, sweat, tears and oftentimes it’s frustrating and scary but it is what we are called to do, what we are commanded to do. We can’t make the Great Commission that Christ gave us a reality by only receiving, sitting, absorbing and doing nothing.
You have to do. (James 1:22 and James 2:14-26 ) . God created mankind to subdue (take care of) the Earth – His creation. He meant for us to work, to take the raw materials and co-create with Him amazing things for the benefit of all mankind. Yes…. His intention was us to work even before the fall.
It starts by doing. Start out small! One small step, one small task, one small action toward a goal. Hey, you might even get a small squirt of dopamine from your troubles and start enjoying getting things done and contributing to the common good.
“Do what is in your power to do, and God will honor your heart’s intent.” – Thomas Kempis
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