Why cheap DOPAMINE ruined my life, and how to create a thriving brain environment that supports your life purpose

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is produced in your brain and is associated, in short, with seeking pleasure and obtaining rewards.

• It’s in that little hit you get when you hear a new message arriving on your phone, or someone gives a like to your post

• It’s in opening the app to look for those likes and validation

• you get a big hit of it when you achieve a life goal

• It’s in constant mini doses as you scroll memes and photos on social media

• It’s all around the place when you are shopping for stuff

• It’s in watching netflix everyday, living life vicariously through a screen

• It’s in that excitement looking at a restaurant menu, and the satisfaction of having that first bite

• It’s in that little something that makes you look around to find an attractive romantic partner

• It’s in that massive rush when that person likes you back

• It’s in that sense of accomplishment when you circumvent a hardship and end up victorious on the other end

• It’s in that juicy paycheck hitting your account

• It’s in ridiculous quantities in many addictive substances, porn and videogames

• It’s in the satisfaction of having done the right thing, at the right time (even when it might have come at a great cost to you)

The thing is, the brain is a highly sophisticated and delicate system, and because of the elegance of its design, it will always look for the most efficient way to get maximum amount of satisfaction for the least effort.

Believe me, i became a grandmaster at that, i did the whole list.

If you get a lot of quick dopamine hits from social media, unhealthy junk food, porn (sexual or emotional), compulsive buying, idolizing someone on social media whom you have no real connection with, promiscuous & shallow sex encounters, videogames, watching netflix everyday etc… your brain will just get used to these cheap hits for little effort, and even start sending a stress response when you want to do something that requires an actual effort, even when that thing is what your soul is craving for.

yeah, that “UGGHHH”, feeling you get when you need to actually do your work or life purpose, finish your project, eat a healthy meal or go to the gym.

That same feeling that leads you into endless procrastination to avoid doing your thing for as long as possible. I used to have it basically the whole day, for just about anything.

It is not that you are LAZY, UNLOVABLE, or not very PRODUCTIVE.

It’s just your brain chemistry and REWARD SYSTEM IS MESSED UP.

Of course there are degrees to this, but in the later stages it transforms into addiction. It completely takes over your life until you can not see the beauty in a sunset, melt at the smile of a child, or find any satisfaction in simple things, which are the essence of life.

Always looking for a stronger high, for less effort. Which in the end makes you disrespect and neglect the things and people you really love and truly care for.

The healthy solution for this, is to just look at your life with complete love and honesty, and then slowly start pruning away the things that are not serving you, that are not making you really happy, that are not making you into the person you really want to be.

Slowly taking away the easy things that are just giving you a momentary lapse of cheap pleasure, with no real content, no real meaning, no REAL CONNECTION.

In the beginning it is not easy, and if you try to kick them all at once you will get overrun.

Healing this will take all that you’ve got, but it is not a battle that you win in a day.

It’s a commitment, an art, that you polish until the day you die.

You will have relapses, and sometimes the need for gratification will be so overwhelming you will feel completely dull and useless or want to just cry.

IT WILL PASS.

Becoming aware of your DESIRE for a hit is the first dot on your compass.

Watch that, what are you really looking for?

Meditation helps immensely. Prayer does too.

But the most important thing are your everyday CHOICES:

Slowly, one by one, with love and compassion for yourself

CHANGE selfish gratification for SERVICE

SWAP from scrolling social media to a night by the fire with CLOSE FRIENDS

BARGAIN mindless acquisition of objects, for random acts of KINDNESS

TRADE Huge romantic rushes that fade away quickly for a REAL CONNECTION

SWITCH your sugary treat for real, NUTRIENT DENSE, food

SUBSTITUTE Tinder, Videogames or Movies for creativity in expression, spoken word, music, writing, poetry, painting, drawing, dancing or whatever you want to CREATE

I can assure you, your life will look brighter and brighter everyday, things will sprout from you that you never believed were possible, you will find ecstasy in the simple things, and your life purpose will become crystal clear, manifested in the flesh.

Your spirit will rejoice in recognition.

If you are struggling with any of this, reach out. Im planning to make a full lenght course on this (let me know if you want me to!), but im happy to help you for the time being.

With genuine LOVE and desire for service:

-L

www.lucianoarmani.com