“I understand there’s a guy inside me who wants to lay in bed, smoke weed all day, and watch cartoons and old movies. My whole life is a series of stratagems to avoid and outwit that guy.”
-Anthony Bourdain
Motivational quotes speak to everyone in different ways, but we were particularly moved by this one by the late Anthony Bourdain, because there’s an inherent truth in it which applies to everyone. All you need to do is substitute weed, cartoons, and old movies with your own vices, and you’ll find that you have your own version of “that guy” (or girl).
Avoiding and outwitting “that guy,” as phrased by Bourdain, is the key to becoming the best version of ourselves, and that’s exactly what we help teenagers to do at Kaizen Academy, a residential treatment center (RTC) in the Provo and Spanish Fork area.
While our program is focused on teenagers who struggle with sexual behavioral problems, the fundamental steps we provide for recovery can help anybody who’s struggling with a personal problem, addiction, or vice. Here are some ways we can outmaneuver “the other guy” inside of us who is content with being mediocre and self-destructive.
- Having a Sense of Self: Understanding who you are is one of the best steps to self-improvement, and it’s one of the reasons we liked the aforementioned quote. Knowing your identity isn’t just about seeing your strengths, it’s also about acknowledging your weaknesses. Healing always comes from within, and by recognizing that you do have “the other guy” who represents your faults, it’s easier to understand how to outmaneuver him.
- Having a Family: Families come in many forms. Whether it’s your blood-related family or a loving community who takes you in, nothing but good can come from the conditional love that others provide to a hurting individual. Loneliness is one of the biggest drivers to self-destructive behavior. So ask yourself, who would you rather spend your time with? A community of people who love you and believe in you, or the “other guy” who’s only interested in bringing you down?
- Building Skills and Passions: It’s no secret that hobbies and passions are a great tool against destructive behavior. Investing in a skill or a pastime is something that challenges you, builds you up, and creates opportunities in the future. “That guy” doesn’t want to be challenged; he just wants to do what’s easy — especially if it feels good in the short term. Skills, hobbies, and passions can create lasting happiness in the long-term, and that’s why we help our teenagers at Kaizen Academy to broaden their interests with a variety of productive activities.
