Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

FREEDOM from addiction IS INSTANTANEOUS (and always available)
Though preachers, teachers & gurus (and even your own ego) will try and convince you
otherwise, it is important to realize the following Truth: your Freedom from addiction
(or ego, or “sin”) is not now, nor ever will be, a drawn-out “process” … No, to attain a
full liberation from all your fears & your desires, you are not required to study for any
length of time, you are not required to attend any particular classes or seminars, you are
not required to read any particular book(s), and you are not required to understand any
particular teaching(s).
Just like with “attaining enlightenment” (or “waking up” or “becoming self-actualized”),
all that is required for us to be truly Free is that – for just one instant of our lives (this
instant) – we exhibit the courage to act accordingly. We must simply reach out while
thinking only for another, instead of cowering in the shadows while thinking primarily of
ourselves. Though such “practical selflessness” is indeed much more powerful when
given during the moments when we least wish to do so, it liberates us fully in every
moment it is chosen regardless.
GETTING STARTED on LIVING FREELY
I realize that this book is filled with direct and indirect references to over three dozen
different addictions, and I understand that you might be tempted to feel overwhelmed at
the prospect of cleansing them all from your life. And yet HAVE NO FEAR, for such a
monumental task is not asked of you at all.
Initially, you might have noticed that all of the addictions mentioned (and even the few
that were not) are all grounded in the same fear and are all supported by the same selfcenteredness.
As such, every addiction can be dismantled and replaced using a single
foundation more-solid (Love) and a single mortar more-lasting (selfless Kindness).
Now, this might not be the answer for everyone, and yet personal experience has shown
that it is at least an answer for everyone. In-deed, even to this day I find myself in regular
“battle” with over 20 of the 36+ addictions mentioned herein. For many folks this might
inspire a sense of hopelessness, and yet I remind myself every day that the Journey to
Freedom is not about someday “becoming perfect” as a person, or even about being
“perfect” for one day. Rather, it is about setting aside our addictive fears & desires for
just one instant, and then – for just one moment more – doing something Kind.
That’s it – that is all that is required to be completely free of all addiction. Simply
identify a selfish urge, set that desire briefly to the side, do something Kind for another
being, and detach from the results …
The more you engage this simple mechanism, the more moments of pure Freedom you
will re-enliven.
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