“Persistent indulgence ceases to be indulgence at all and merely becomes habit. Sort of defeats the whole purpose, doesn’t it?”   -Kate Bares-Johnson

As the holiday season draws near, so do the opportunities to indulge ourselves in the most wonderful ways! Feasts and celebrations, good food with good friends, parties, shopping, spending, giving, shopping some more, partying some more…you know the routine. Some of us look forward to it all year, especially the part where we allow ourselves to indulge more than usual. It’s the big “AHHH” after a year of hard work and diligence. It’s also the reason so many of us have “LOSE 10 POUNDS” on the top of our New Year Resolutions list come January 1^st!

Don’t get me wrong…indulging is wonderful! It is a treat and a privilege and it’s healthy for us to let go and indulge from time to time. It’s only when we’ve crossed over from “time to time” to “all the time” that it’s no longer an indulgence. At this point, it has become a habit. This is great if we’ve integrated something healthy into our life, but if it’s not-so-healthy, it’s a good idea to consider if you’re even still enjoying it. If you sometimes feel that little pang of guilt when you’re doing it, that sort of defeats the whole purpose of indulging in the first place, doesn’t it?

It feels good to let our hair down and enjoy the moment, but we start to lose that feeling when it ceases to be an indulgence and starts becoming a habit. We’ll keep going back to it over and over, hoping to get that “AHHH” feeling again, which only reinforces the habit, which can then begin to act and feel like an addiction. It becomes a mindless trap we put ourselves in and, consequently, feel powerless to step out of. It’s like being in a cage with the door wide open!

A common mindset around any kind of habit, compulsion, or addiction is that we can’t help it, which is simply not true. Of course we can help it…we’re helping ourselves right to it! I’m sure there are more than a few of you scowling right now, thinking this is just a bunch of hooey, or listening to the voice in your head that’s reminding you how HAAAAAAARD it is…and that’s okay. We’ve been conditioned to believe we’re diseased and powerless and victims of our addictions and compulsions and that we can never truly recover. And we won’t recover if we continue to reach outside ourselves to fill that gnawing emptiness within. I call it the “God hole”…the spiritual/emotional emptiness that only Spirit can fill. We could get in the habit of allowing that to happen just as easily as any other habit, but we’re an impatient species and we want it to feel better yesterday. Instant gratification’s just easier, right?

Wrong! When it’s all said and done, addiction and compulsive habits and behaviors are simply our conscious choice to choose unconsciously. At some point along the way, we made the conscious decision to indulge in a behavior that was not necessarily in our best interest, whether that was in celebration or avoidance, it’s all the same. If we do not remain conscious of our highest intentions for our Self and our life, we can get easily caught up in a cycle of instant gratification and comfort rather than long term fulfillment and joy. Let’s face it, most of us will take the easier route if given the choice, and instant gratification feels a lot easier than “depriving” ourselves of what we want in the moment. However, in reality, the effort we put into keeping instant gratification going is far more exhausting than the discipline required to honor our Self. And believe me when I say, honoring the Self feels soooo much better on so many more levels.

So, the next time you feel the need to reach for something to fill the God hole, let God fill it up instead! It’s an inside job, dear people, and you’ll never be truly satiated with anything else. Whether you’re happy or hurting, sad or soaring…pray. Talk to Spirit. If you need help, ask. If you feel grateful, say thank you. If you are confused, ask for clarity. If you’re sad, ask for comfort. And then trust. Trust, trust, trust…and listen. Don’t just indulge now and then, make it a habit! When you are truly ready and willing, you’ll find that everything you need is already right there.

Kate Bares-Johnson is the founding director of The Center for Well Being in

Austin. As an intuitive guide and spiritual/life coach, Kate has facilitated personal transformation and spiritual awakening throughout the U.S. since 1992. Through her own life journey, as well as her experience as "midwife" to others in their healing, she has developed a very REAL and powerful approach to life as a CHOICE. Through retreats, ongoing classes, and individual guidance, The Center for Well Being offers diverse possibilities for growth and support to those on the journey of finding and living the truth of their soul!

For more information or registration, contact 512-249-5683 or visit the website at http://www.thecenterforwellbeing.com.