I hardly watch television. The other day I happened to turn on the TV and a voice came on telling me to, ‘binge on the best’. It was a commercial for a media-services provider and it showed people lounging on their couches with their dark-circle-sunken eyes fixated on the screen with blank looking faces. Apart from the fact that these people looked so lifeless- the slogan, ‘binge on the best’ seemed contrary to what was being portrayed on the screen.
But I can’t be so quick to judge, it’s something that I quite often find myself doing. Cozying up on the couch, watching a series of episodes from the afternoon into the early hours of the morning - it seems harmless, right? What’s wrong with that? You’re not hurting anyone. But the better question is, where is the good or the fruit in doing this? You see, when I dug a little deeper into reflecting on this somewhat harmless activity, I realised that much of it was to do with trying to escape the reality of living a life of virtue.
Now, that may be a very big statement to put forth, so I want to clarify that watching shows and having downtime is not entirely a bad thing. I know that it can be beneficial for several reasons such as to relieve stress, gain insight and perspective, learn new things, etc. However, what I’m talking about is when this becomes a regular thing, and day after day we become complacent.
Besides, since when was binging a good thing? In my recollection of times I have gorged on something excessively, it never ends well. It’s funny, because more often than not, when I do binge - whether it be food, Netflix, sleep, it exacerbates my feelings of uneasiness because I am avoiding the work or study that needs to be done - I am not doing something with purpose. Like those people on the screen, I end up feeling quite empty or find myself on edge. In other words, these vices come out - sloth, gluttony, envy, anger - because too much of a good thing really isn’t good anymore. Whatever that thing is, whether it is watching tv, eating, drinking, etc - when we have more than we need, it takes control over us, rather than us over it.
I, myself, as I said I have been guilty of binging. The thing is I have never found satisfaction in it because I always crave more. I think that as humans we seek satisfaction but often in the wrong places. It hit me that after seeing the people in the commercial looking so lifeless, I realised how much I don’t want to be like that. I want to be more than that. God didn’t put me here just to sit idly. A life is made for living and living our best at that. I ask you all to walk with me and aim to live a life full of virtue and conviction, to orient ourselves towards Christ and live more fully.
So my resolve has been to go to daily Mass when I can, adore Him in Holy hour, receive the sacraments more regularly and I have found these vices have been easier to break. Leaning into Him has given me the strength to try and overcome. It isn’t easy and I don’t mean to never watch or eat again, but to live every moment knowing that we want it to be purposeful and not purposeless because our eyes are fixed on Him.
CCC 1803 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions.
The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.
maya.
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