Have you ever tried to make up your mind about something and then found yourself lost in a never-ending argument of pros and cons? Looking for “the right” answer… Where you catch yourself thinking: “On this hand…” and “On the other hand…” until it’s all completely out of hand?

And now you’re feeling even more lost than when you started. Swamped. Confused.

I know I have.

Yet maybe there’s another way through all of this. For if world class thinking theorist Edward de Bono is right, the way you explore an issue is key. In fact, he thinks that:

“If you explore well, a decision makes itself.”

.

(And how handy would that be?)

So what’s he actually on about? And how might you be able to try some of it out?

Why is this photo of a beach scene here, you might wonder. What’s that got to do with addictions?

It’s a good question.

(And the answer is even better).

For at a recent therapy workshop, Australian psychotherapist and addictions specialist Peter Harris noted that in his experience:

“The best solution for any addiction is a rich life.”

It’s pretty profound…

So when he’s working with people who have addictions like gambling, he might suggest running a kind of experiment (in the tradition of Gestalt therapy).

When the craving hits, what happens if you, say, go to the beach instead of going to the poker machines? What happens if you reintroduce elements of nature or other dimensions of your life at that moment? What might it feel like to go in search of something even richer than the craving? What else might you find? (About your life? About yourself?)

So come with me for a virtual stroll along the shore for a moment and let’s find out…