Toy / Tool / Crutch

Any practice, substance, relationship, you name it, can be used as a toy, tool, or crutch.  I’m not saying each fits into one of these three categories.  Some people are actually just friends, for instance, and we don’t use them, any more than we are used.  

As a toy - there’s a fun, exploratory nature to the use/doing; it could be a one-off use, or sporadic/occasional use; it might be or feel novel (I’m not dismissing novelty as unimportant); it could be heart- and/or mind-opening, perhaps inspirational (maybe active inspiration potential, or could be more passive inspiration). It might be used as “intended” but could be used in a variety of ways.

As a tool – there’s intentionality, likely to use the thing as intended, likely in the service of growth, or transformation… not from the perspective of being “broken” (this is not a paradigm I subscribe to) but from the perspective of life (and healing!) wanting to happen, and emergence; there can be a specific issue that is pinpointed, or it can be more open.  

As a crutch – the thing is relied upon for [__fill in the blank here___] (growth, a state change, a specific feeling, an energy level, “healing”...); there is a limiting belief that these things can’t happen without the thing.  And not to say those things don’t make days better.  Here’s an example:

I’ve known many people who meditate or do yoga every day who say if they don’t get their daily practice in, their day is shot.  Now, I fully support meditation and yoga.  What gets me is handing over the power of my moments to a practice.  Saying, “Doing [__this practice__] daily supports my well-being and the enjoyment of my moments.” is waaaaay different than saying the day is shot.  And the words we choose and use matter.  If we use conditional language (if this, then that), it matters.  

What’s your relationship with your *things*?  Things like… coffee?  Journaling?  Cookies? Music…?