“I remember Samuel smiling at me encouragingly, with all the patience in the world. “I’m not telling you to do anything; you can do as you wish. I just want you to know that those things will have negative consequences. I have a feeling that you can tell me more reasons why you shouldn’t let those things rule your life than I can, but the decision is still in your hands. I just want you to see things clearly, not just for the initial thrill they might bring, but the whole picture, the long-term cost, and everything else. The more you indulge in these things now, the more tied up with them you will become, and the longer it will take for you to gain stability and heal. More importantly, trying to remove these things on your own will only lead to greater emptiness. Unless you replace these desires with something better and more fulfilling, you will always feel like you are missing out by abstaining from them.”