Shalom chevra,

I have a question. I've been pretty active on GYE the past two months (I am now an expert boarder (what's a boarder? Snowboarder? Skateboarder? Surfer?) and I have 6 karma (thank you, thank you)), and I try to read a lot of the forum and respond.

My question: I'm beginning to spend a lot of time on the forum. Right now, I'm 10 days clean, and it might be better if I avoid the internet altogether, because sometimes I come on to check GYE and I either spend too much time and the day slips by, or I visit other websites (something I don't want to do because I'm trying to cut down on usage).

I would still check email with a thoroughly filtered iPod touch, and that's basically all I'd need the internet for (except maybe for eBay).

I think though I'm trying to help a lot of people, sometimes what I post on the forum is lip service (it might do me good to read what I have written myself, and maybe start being a little stronger on its implementation), and I believe in the following:

if you spend too much time thinking about NOT doing something, you're going to do it. It might be better for me right now to just forget about the whole shmutz problem, and while implementing my measures, maybe take a 2-week break from the GYE forum.

What do you guys think?

I took a five/six week break from forum. Felt great.
And then I just happened to feel like checking back in.
No attachment. That's how it should be with everything in my opinion.

We have to be careful not to get too wrapped up in the flattery from our 'motivational'/'stunning' posts. sometimes i realize that's happening to me, and that's not healthy either...
Hatzlachah

All true,
Too much of anything is no good, except obviously תורה
My view is, yes live life, so don't spend too much time on GYE, if it's going to make you tired.
But if actually being on GYE, stops you surfing other stuff well that's great.

Just had a similar thought today - I woke up late, so I decided to give up morning seder and to come here. What would I have done without GYE? Probably have a lot of self pity and get angry with myself. The result would be masturbation to get rid of that feeling.
Thanks to GYE, thanks again, this is no more the way I try to solve my problems.
However - now that I've reached this point shouldn't I go learn instead of spending hours on GYE??

I think the answer is very simple: I just chatted with someone that a fall after ONE year of being clean!! One year!! It struck me that this all our work is not about reaching 90, 900, or 9000 days. Its about realizing that we have a enemy within that wont leave us until our heart stops beating!! The only way to fight this war is by keeping on to work on ourselves!!! Look at warfare: If the the US army wouldn't have upgraded their tanks and guns since WW2, they would have lost the war in Irak big time!!

For me personally, posting on GYE every Thursday helps tremendously to reflect on occurrences of the that week and only then I usually start thinking "what can I do better, what will I work on this week" Sharing it with others has lost of benefits too.... I don't have to explain the benefits of GYE

So in my humble opinion dear Chachaman, it depends: To take a brake from GYE? yes!! But please make "plan to be making plans", in other words - to reserve a few moments a day to reflect and upgrade your weaponry - just as your enemy!!


(P.S. Maybe compromise to drop in once a week and share your progress??)