Originally Posted by
iAnnAu
I follow the maxim of "Moderation in all things - including moderation."
I strive to keep myself balanced, but I also know that things are going to get out of whack no matter what due to circumstances out of my control or because I've been paying too much attention elsewhere and neglecting something for just long enough to tip things over. So, I'm pretty indulgent in many cases, and sometimes I'm a little over-strict as if to make up for it. For example, I'll eat four cookies instead of one, and then the next day I'll kick my ass in the gym. Doesn't really equal out, but I also like the contrast that going outside the boundaries lends to the time I do spend in my own little "zone."
It's also interested me to notice that a lot of people describe themselves as having addictive personalities, but I never hear anyone saying they have the opposite. Well, I do. I've picked up smoking cigarettes at least a handful of times, and after several months or a year or two, I'll quit again. And it's not a big deal. The last time I quit was March of 2008 (so hey! a year ago!), and I could see myself picking it back up again if I really felt like I wanted a cigarette.
Same thing with pot - it's not considered physically addictive, but I've seen it be very strongly psychologically addictive for several people I've known personally. I recently bought a car, so I cut out some extra expenses while I figured out the effects on my general budget, and that included no pot for two months. Now I've started back again, and I'm so happy to have it back in my life, but it really wasn't that big of a deal to not have it around.