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Why Wait? Grab a Snickers.
We live in a world of instant gratification.
Bored? You've got Angry Birds and CandyCrush at your fingertips.
Hungry? Your food can be ready for you to eat in less time than it takes to drive up to a window and pay for your meal.
Horny? Porn is just a mouse-click away, not to mention Tinder and Craigslist are teaming with people looking for a casual hookup.
Netflix and Hulu give us instant TV shows and movies. Spotify, GrooveShark and RDIO give us instant access to our favorite songs. Instagram, Twitter, Vine and Facebook... they give us instant social validation and approval with a quick double-tap, up-vote, or like from friends we never talk to.
My generation has ben dubbed "The Selfie Generation," and I believe that title doesn't just reflect our propensity to extend our arm and pull faces at our cell phone without any explanation in public. It's because we have been bred to be outrageously selfish.
Why So Selfish?
I've been thinking a lot about selfishness lately, and how attached selfishness is to instant gratification. I'm convinced that most of us are not consciously selfish. The desire for instant gratification comes from the need to fill a void, or to escape from pain, self-loathing, loneliness, shame, awkwardness, nerves or even our own thoughts.
We feel like if we can escape these feelings, their absence will leave us in a state of love.
We have been duped into believing that at the end of their pursuit of instant gratification we will find love. The sad irony is that love - true love - does not ever coexist with selfishness.
Love cannot be found on a screen, in a bottle, or on a plate. Love is something that is created by setting down the phone, turning off the computer, setting aside the bottle, and meaningfully investing in yourself and others.
Love is created when you stop trying to escape life, and start serving, uplifting, and living for others.
What are you using to escape your life?
What's your escape? What are you using to fill the void that love could occupy? Is it shopping, or romantic novels? Maybe your'e addicted to work, alcohol, pills, or other substances? Do you get phantom vibrations in your pocket when you leave your cell phone in there for too long?
Everyone has an escape... and inside of every escape is space for more love. Is your escape worth it?
Check out Seth Adam Smith's new book, "Marriage Isn't For You, It's For The One You Love."
You can also check out more of his writing on his personal blog, and on his website, Forward Walking.
The full length episode for purchase will be coming soon (as soon as it gets approved by iTunes).
Thanks to Stars for the Intro Music:
And to Matty Blades for the Theme Music: