Friday

 

The Clarity of Sobriety and the Freedom Beyond Control

by Yoruba Yogi (Ade Olude)

This morning, I woke up around three. I moved slowly, listening to the intelligence of the body — that quiet wisdom that rises when the spine opens and the breath deepens. The body always knows where to move when the mind becomes still.

As I moved, a realization came to me about the power of addiction — not just to substances, but to control, to judgment, to the illusion of being “in charge.” I’ve seen how those forces can take over people — how they speak loudly about spirit but act without humility, how they chase wisdom while still being trapped by what numbs them.

For years, I blamed myself for my past. I thought I wasn’t enough — couldn’t provide enough, love enough, or do enough. But time, silence, and yoga revealed a deeper truth: some people leave not because you failed them, but because they are at war with themselves. Addiction blinds them. It replaces love with control and peace with noise.

Now I understand — it was never about money, status, or even me. It was the energy of addiction moving through them. I forgive it, even if it still hurts. I release it, even if part of me still remembers. Because holding on to it keeps me bound to the same illusion I escaped.

So today, I breathe in freedom. I breathe in clarity. I breathe in sobriety — not just from substances, but from emotional chaos. I honor the silence that keeps me grounded.

And I remember: I am not here to fix anyone.

I am here to stay pure, humble, and awake.

When I sit in silence long enough, I begin to see how addiction is not just about a substance — it’s about the need to escape truth. It’s the mind’s way of running from silence, because silence reveals everything. Addiction hides behind the mask of control. It makes people speak loudly, argue about spirit, and pretend to be in peace while the soul trembles inside.

I’ve watched people who confuse temporary highs for enlightenment. They use the language of spirituality, but their energy is restless. They talk about light while standing in darkness. And it reminds me that true spirituality has no noise — it is gentle, patient, and sober.

Addiction — whether to a drug, a drink, a relationship, or the idea of being right — all comes from the same root: fear of letting go. Fear of surrendering the ego. It’s the ego that says, “I know better,” even while sinking deeper into confusion.

I’ve seen it, I’ve lived through it, and now I walk away from it — not out of judgment, but out of understanding. Because I see how those energies move: they always try to pull others down to keep control. They can’t sit still in silence. They need noise to feel alive.

But true aliveness is not noise. It’s peace — the calm after breath, the stillness between thoughts, the strength to say no when chaos calls.

So I protect my peace. I choose not to chase or convince anyone. I let them walk their path, just as I walk mine — barefoot, silent, and clear.

Because the purest vibration comes from simplicity.

The highest wisdom comes from humility.

And real divine power is when you no longer need to control anything.

Peace.

— Yoruba Yogi