Drop the Drama!: From Drama Addiction to Simply Inspired Living

By Guerin Moorman

We all experience drama in one form or another. Whether its relational conflicts, financial stress, addiction, anger, overeating, or any number of problems; drama is not something that happens to us, but something that happens within us. In whatever form we experience it, drama is ultimately the internal dialogue of wrestling against what is. Drop the Drama! From Drama Addiction to Simply Inspired Living asserts that we become drama addicts, emotionally reacting to life, recreating life stories based on a limited understanding of who we really are.

In an approach that transcends all spiritual paths, Drop the Drama! takes an alternative view of the ancient story of Adam and Eve challenging our traditional ways of viewing God, self, the nature of reality, and ultimately revealing a new way of Simply Inspired Living for all humanity.

Explore the root cause of suffering; The Drama Mind.
Expose the symptoms of the Drama Mind and how it cloaks itself from our awareness.
Drop the cycles of Shame, Blame, and The Drama Game.
Discover The Quest, questions found in the story of Adam and Eve leading us out of drama and back to Simply Inspired Living.

Drop the Drama! is not about providing more factual knowledge for the mind, or getting motivated to achieve certain results in life. It is about uncovering the stories we create, the discovery of who we really are, and unleashing a life that is simply inspiring. Are you ready to Drop the Drama?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jun 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781452574639

Guerin Moorman

Guerin Moorman’s message of Simply Inspired Living is founded on the principle of discovering our Simply Inspired Presence. In addition to writing, he enjoys meditation, exercise, vegetarian fare, and composes modern electronic music. He has four children, two grandchildren and currently resides in Dallas, Texas. His website is www.simplyinspiredliving.com

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Copyright © 2013 Guerin Moorman.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

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ISBN: 978-1-4525-7462-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-7464-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-7463-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013909069

Balboa Press rev. date: 05/30/2013

Table Of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

ACT I

1. Drama, Drama, Drama…

2. The Drama Mind

3. Drama Addiction

4. Simply Inspired Living

ACT II

5. The Theatre of Drama

6. Shame, Blame, and the Drama Game

7. Drama Trauma

ACT III

8. Drop the Drama!

9. The Quest

10. From Drama to Dharma

11. A Simply Inspired World

12. Simply Inspired You"

Appendix:The Adam and Eve Story: Genesis Chapters 1-3

To my parents, who with unending love, support, and often bewilderment;

have patiently and lovingly watched a son’s life drama unfold.

To Rachael, Brooke, Brendan, and Mercedes;

four of the best stories ever written.

Preface

We have all experienced drama in one form or another from time to time. We usually refer to another’s drama as their overly emotional reaction or response to some event. We may say, ‘ Oh they are so dramatic ’, or ‘ Oh my God! They have so much drama. ’ Yet I would say that drama is a common experience for all of us. As a generalization, we may refer to drama as any number of negative feelings or behavior to include anger, stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, as well as our financial and most intimate relationship problems. Drama is drama regardless of how we may label it. Drama is not limited necessarily to our occasional dramatic episodic outbursts. Drama can continue in our lives for years, decades, or a lifetime in many more subtle forms such as gossip, complaining, work dissatisfaction, negativity, overeating, financial stress, or a feeling of lack of purpose and love.

We have all become skilled at continuing the same dramatic story over and over in our lives, many times unbeknownst to even our own selves. We have all experienced the emotional inner response and dialogue of wrestling against ‘what is’, whether it is the morning traffic, the co-worker, the ex-partner, or our political leaders. In fact, if we look deep enough into our emotional and thought patterns, we begin to see the same drama over and over, typically reacting to what is with reoccurring patterns of shame, blame and drama games. It somehow becomes entrenched in our lives and embedded within our thought patterns. It is cyclic and addictive in nature.

Why would we continue in such patterns when they keep us from experiencing a happy, peaceful, playful simply inspiring life experience? You could say that we are Drama Addicts, persistently replaying the same stories within our minds over and over, playing out the roles we have scripted for ourselves based on who we believe we are. Many times we are unaware of the drama we are creating not only for ourselves but for others in our life as well.

When we talk about drama and drama addiction, most people say, ‘Well, that’s not me. Sure, I have issues here and there like anyone else, but I’m not overly dramatic about it. I don’t have any drama. I’m drama free.’ But if we really knew who we were, not just in a concept of the mind, but in our most inward deep experience; then I would say that stress, depression, addiction, anxiety, complaining, or any habitual negative thoughts or actions no matter how insignificant, small, or normal we label it, is drama. It is overreacting, a dramatization over what is based on who we believe ourselves to be.

It takes some real inner-reflection to see these habitual patterns as they play out in our lives. Most of us do not take the time to look underneath the hood of our drama to find the root cause. It is much easier and safe to play the victim and blame anyone and everything outside of ourselves. However it is these very actions that keep us chained in unconscious drama. Yet if you are reading this, that is probably not indicative of what you want. The very fact that you are reading this page, shows that there is something inside of you that is already asking to be awakened to something more and to experience greater expansion, freedom and inspiration.

If anyone knows about drama and the internal dialogue of wrestling against what is, it is probably me. Relationally I have been married and divorced twice. Financially, I have filed bankruptcy, lost businesses, houses, cars and have been in debt 100’s of thousands of dollars. Spiritually, I’ve had to re-examine what I was taught and risk challenging some of my most closely held beliefs venturing out into unknown, sometimes uncomfortable territory. On top of that, I have battled a lifetime of depression and was finally diagnosed as bipolar in which I had to confront some of the coping mechanisms that I have adapted along the way. Many of you have experienced your own magnificent stories of drama as well, some with even more dramatic and inspiring stories than my own. Prior to writing this book and throughout its three year formation; I sought out various spiritual teachings, examined differing methods of inner-healing and self-inquiry, read a plethora self-help books, met with counselors and spiritual leaders, and finally plunged into an inner journey leading me out of anti-depressant medication through a practice of ongoing meditation.

Though this book was written by me, I consider it to have been primarily written for me. It was written to me as I sought to understand why things weren’t working in my life and determine the cause of my self-imposed inner drama. In examining my own life, as well as looking at the lives of many of those around me, I was convinced and driven by the belief that we are here on earth to have a life that is simple and inspiring. For many of us at times, life doesn’t feel like something filled with simplicity and inspiration; but rather drama, challenges, stress, and perspiration! Yet I believe wholeheartedly that by being honest with ourselves, having the courage to examine the drama stories that we create, and taking the risk to reevaluate everything we have previously believed about ourselves, we can begin to discover a simply inspiring life experience.

As a backdrop to our drama discussion, I have used the age-old, familiar story of Adam and Eve. There are probably countless interpretations, conclusions, and truths that can be drawn from this well-known creation story. What I have discovered within this ancient text is an allegorical message that unravels both the inception, as well as the purpose of the drama we see unfolding within the history of humanity. We also find within it, an explanation of our own individual drama and the answer to set ourselves free and Drop the Drama here and now. If you’re not familiar with this story, I have included it in the appendix for your review.

However, Drop the Drama! From Drama Addiction to Simply Inspired Living is not about pointing you to a Christian, Buddhist, New Age, or any other type of particular spiritual belief system. It is about becoming real with yourself, dropping the drama, and discovering who you really are which is beyond any religious label or categorization of the mind. The intent of building upon the story of Adam and Eve is also not to offer another historical or even theological interpretation for the mind to grab onto. It’s not history that changes us, but the story we hold of ourselves within the moment. Truth is always found behind the words. All of our cultural stories, legends, religions, and even our own personal lives all have a tale to tell. In fact, it is really only one story. It is the drama of creation revealing itself and discovering who it truly is. This epic discovery also inevitably includes you regardless of which spiritual path you may closely identify with.

In Drop the Drama!, I believe you will begin to understand the reason for the various drama enactments that you may experience in your own life. We will explore the root cause of all individual and collective drama in the world, which we refer to as the Drama Mind. We will look at the means the Drama Mind utilizes to continue its cycle of Shame, Blame, and the Drama Game within our lives. We will explore the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and our excessive need to judge what is. We will examine Drama Addiction which is the addiction to define a self through the constructs of the mind—the thoughts, beliefs, and stories we hold onto about ourselves, typically based on what we possess, experience, or achieve. Lastly, we tackle how to Drop the Drama as we proceed through a simple questioning process that is taken directly from within the story of Adam and Eve itself.

This writing is not one that may be processed quickly and easily. It must be read more from a place of personal investigation and self-discovery rather than intellectual gratification. You yourself will become your own teacher and spiritual guru revealing everything that may need to be discovered within this journey. This is because only you can truly reveal who you really are. My intention in sharing Drop the Drama! From Drama Addiction to Simply Inspired Living is that it may be a tool that points you back to the Tree of Life, the discovery of whom you really are, the recognition of the perfection of ‘what is’, and the awareness of your beautiful Self-Presence that is perfect and not deficient in any way. In recognizing this Presence, I believe you will find the depth of something that cannot be articulated in words, is beyond drama, and is found to be something that is both refreshingly simple and incredibly inspiring.

Acknowledgements

Aquote often heard by Ralph Waldo Emerson states, ‘ Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. ’ Once I made the decision to publish this work, the help and nudges that I’ve received from the Universe at just the right time and just the right way in the form of authors, teachers, counselors, spiritual leaders, friends and sometimes even complete strangers are innumerable. Although I cannot list them all by name, I would like to silently acknowledge their presence and contribution.

I would also like to recognize the many unnamed teachers in my life that showed up disguised as villains, yet in reality were perfect teachers allowing me to see that the drama in my life was not coming from them, but from within myself. For these hidden teachers I am also grateful.

I would like to also acknowledge my friend April Silva Johnson, who with her thoughtful questions, comments, edits, and most of all encouragement, helped nurture this venture to its final completion.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge you, the readers and seekers who have taken strides to look beyond the drama in their own lives and the world around them, decided to unleash their Self-Presence, and discover a life that is truly Simply Inspiring.

Introduction

Got Drama?

You’ve finally come to a crossroads. You have at this critical juncture come to a seeming intersection where one must simply choose. What the decision is, one may not yet fully be able to articulate or express. Nevertheless, there is a knowingness that there is a choice waiting to happen, much like a tiny seed waiting to germinate just below the layer of one’s conscious awareness. One can either prolong the drama and the reoccurring life themes of shame, blame, and the endless drama game, or one can make a choice to simply surrender and just be with the wonderful, playful, exploration of ‘ what is ’.

Yet for now, you have simply grown tired of all the drama, all of which you yourself have created. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t continue to fake this imagined sense of control any longer. Regardless of how much you try to hide yourself within life’s countless activities and distractions, there is still within the midst of you, within this Garden of Eden, a series of questions regarding the nature of things and of the nature of self. The choice is simple though making the choice seems extraordinarily difficult. One can continue the endless drama stories that one has carefully crafted to ultimately shake one’s self out of the stupor of their dream of littleness, or one can simply say yes and surrender to what is. And what we surrender and say yes to is not another religious promise to do better, nor is it another resolution to try and motivate us to become or attain something that we think can ultimately define us or make us happy.

What we finally surrender and say yes to is none other than our True Self—right here, right now. It’s not the conceptual self or identity that we carry with us in our mind from the illusory past or an imagined future. It is the Self that deep within we all know ourselves to be if we could just step back and listen. At this moment in our lives we may look back at what has been, what could have been, and what could be, and start to discover that perhaps we may finally be ready to let go. We are ready to come home. Not in a final, dramatic exit of leaving our earthly costume in which we have chosen to play out our starring role, but a final turning inward toward our true home, which is the acknowledgement of who we truly are, our Simply Inspired Self-Presence.

Once we say yes—which is to acknowledge fully all responsibility for all the drama that we have created, we have then stepped into a spiritual path, a vortex of illumination and wonder. The Drama Mind, the epitome of insanity, challenges that these hunches are mere dreams, nothing but a child’s make believe story which ultimately lead to disappointment, a loss of freedom, and a life devoid of meaning. The mind says ‘no’, yet there is always a something within us that somehow reminds us of freedom, though freedom from what one cannot so easily identify. As we begin to surrender to beauty, the slow emergence of the awareness of who we truly are, we find that we have somehow begun a journey,—a new drama if you will, but one which we find is mesmerizing, playfully simple, and inspiring. This is the journey you have set before yourself. The journey is finding that there is no journey, no drama… just Simply Inspired Being. The curriculum is in knowing that you never really left who you are and that there is nothing needed to do or experience to define a self or find happiness. It is the awakening of yourself back to the awareness of your Self-Presence. It is the Self that was never really lost but now beckons you homeward from a life addicted to drama to a life-story that is nothing short of Simply Inspiring.

Act I

1

Drama, Drama, Drama…

Drama, Drama, Drama

All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances . . . and each man in his time plays many parts.

~ William Shakespeare

Drama. Drama. Drama. It’s almost as if we see, hear, or read about it everywhere we go. Be it political scandals, the personal lives of celebrities, the gossip regarding a neighbor or co-worker, it seems that our society seems to be inundated and infatuated with drama. Whether it’s on the news, radio, tabloids, Internet, social networking websites, or our favorite TV reality shows—one cannot argue that overall we love our drama. Our society has become addicted to it. Not that there is ever anything wrong with a good entertaining action movie or love story. Yet the real life drama we are referring to seems to touch all of us on one level or another. Nevertheless, we simply love to find drama in others yet are skilled in ignoring the drama within ourselves. We may call it staying informed, being entertained, or even freedom of speech, yet when it comes down to it much of day to day attention is fixated on observing the drama in others where we carve out victims and villains, shame and blame.

Many of us like to minimize or even deny the drama in our own lives proclaiming that we are drama-free while quickly pointing it out within the life of another. But in reality none of us are immune to drama. In fact, the emotions that each of us have experienced when things are not lining up and going ‘my way ‘, or when we seem to attract the same negative stress, anger, depression, addictions, or financial and relationship problems into our lives are all indicative of our own experience of drama.

This phenomenon is not only confined to individuals. Societies, cultures, countries, and all of humanity all share in their own unique theatrical productions. Drama is nothing new. Nations have fallen or gone to war many times in response to some ongoing, dramatic, insane belief. There is no individual that has not been left unscathed in its path. In fact, we may say that drama is the unfolding story of humanity itself and its struggle for happiness.

On a personal level it also entails the various stories within our own lives. It is the story of our relationship problems, family problems, financial problems, career problems, and general problems we just can’t seem to categorize or even identify. Contrary to what we think, drama is not something that randomly happens to us but something that happens within us. It is the result of the stories we write into our own lives founded upon the beliefs and projections of who we are and what we think we deserve. This is ultimately based on our own perception of self. Our subsequent emotional reaction to this unfolding drama is the resultant trauma of drama. Our resistance to this trauma and what is unfolding around us, is to perpetuate more of the same continuing story of that which we ourselves have created. This inner story-telling, subsequent drama, resistance, and the continuing cycle of thoughts, feelings, and behavior that we don’t prefer are what I call Drama Addiction.

To be free from drama is not just merely acquiring more wealth, attaining success, or finding true love. To be free from drama is not escapism into one or a myriad of addictions. Nor is it to retreat into a plethora of religious or self-help programs. To become drama free is not about doing or fixing anything, but is rather something we become.

To escape drama is not to fight or wrestle against ‘what is’, but is to simply drop or let go of the drama stories we have created within ourselves, of ourselves, and live life from a new place of simplicity and inspiration. It is a journey out of the Drama Mind and a delving deep into the awareness of Simply Being which is our True Self, and wherein our true freedom lies. Simply Inspired Living does not mean that our lives are extraordinarily tidy and free from many of the challenges common to most all of us. It is however, a shift in consciousness, a deep profound change in a perception of who we really are. It is an exchange of the Drama Mind and all its fantasies, for a story of Self that is based upon Presence and beyond mental concepts. It is living life from a place of simply inspired moments. It is a change in perception that is so radical, that we find the courage and power to carve out new stories for our lives, stories that are rich, vibrant, colorful, and recklessly authentic.

It is in this spirit that this book is written. This book will take you on a journey back to Eden, the initial playground of God, the story of mankind’s initial delusion into the Drama Mind, and the eventual emergence of Simply Inspired Living—a humanity that has dropped the drama and chosen a new perception, a new way of being, and a new way of living.

WHAT IS DRAMA?

When we speak of drama in the classical sense of the word we may be speaking about a Broadway play, a movie, or perhaps even a novel. A good drama is cast with many colorful characters; heroes that we adore, villains that we hate, a love story that touches us and a plot that moves us and evokes within us such an emotional response that we identify and feel that we are part of the drama itself. Within this drama the characters and the roles that they play have all been predetermined within the mind of its creator. The cast has memorized and rehearsed their lines hundreds of times to a perfect tee. All the props are in place and precisely set to reflect the scenery of the unfolding story-line. And when the final chapter is read, or the final scene played, or the final moments of a movie flash before our eyes, we know that the book will be reread, the play will be performed again, and the movie will again be enjoyed within the context of a Friday night pizza and DVD. Regardless of interpretation and who is reading or watching, the unfolding drama is always without deviation. It will include the same characters, the same roles, the same scenery and the same plot always seeking to ignite imagination and captivate the emotions of its intended audience. Similarly, when we speak of drama as it is sometimes used today to describe negative events and the surrounding emotional turmoil one may experience, we see three primary characteristics.

First, drama is reoccurring. Many times when we label someone as suffering drama, we may be wondering why they keep participating in the same type of experience over and over. The context, characters, and symptoms may all have variations but the central theme is always the same. Drama is drama, regardless of the particular story-line. One struggling with some form of addiction for example, will replay their story over and over with variations of the same central theme. Our relationship problems, financial problems, even our health problems all have one central story which is replayed over in varying contexts and scenarios. It is important to remember that drama has one central theme or story expressed in many variations we call problems. Until we deal with the central story line of what we inwardly believe, drama continues to follow us chronicling the same theme in repeated succession.

Second, the characters within a performance all perform their predefined and rehearsed roles. All high-quality productions must have a talented cast of characters to select from to play its various parts. Many of us become experts at attracting just the right characters to play the roles we have defined to fit our inward stories. Written upon the belief systems of our inward manuscripts, we have predefined ideas of what an enemy, villain, or heartbreaker looks like and how they should act. The actors we hire to play these parts within our drama stories are exceptional. They most always, completely reinforce the negative belief systems contained in our drama stories leaving us feeling disillusioned, victimized, or dramatized. It is critical to understand that the characters we draw into our lives are a result of unspoken agreements or contracts that we have negotiated as writer and director of our own negative drama stories.

Finally, a superb production is able to profoundly touch us with such impact that we are drawn into and feel part of the story itself. In the same way, when what we label as negative experiences in our own lives evokes within us such an emotional negative response such as fear, stress, anger, depression, or disillusionment, we start to believe that we are the drama we are experiencing. Negative emotions are both a byproduct as well as a cause of drama within our lives. What we label as drama causes emotional pain, which when held onto creates emotional baggage. This emotional baggage stays with us, creating or reinforcing our inward story and reproducing and attracting more of the same stories within our lives. The emotions that accompany our suffering and how it reinforces our hidden belief systems are a critical component of our ongoing life drama.

In short, drama simply feels bad. As a broad definition, we can say that at any given point when we perceive ourselves to be at a place, time, or circumstance where we absolutely do not want to be,—we are in drama. In this sense, we all have instances of drama in our lives from time to time. It’s one thing to have a small disappointment or upset, deal with it and move on. As an example, we all may have experienced trying to get somewhere in traffic when out of nowhere somebody cuts us off and we get caught up in an instance of theatrics, where we explode in an outburst of anger and a not so pleasant explicit choice of words. Maybe we recognize the error in our petty response, learn from it, laugh it off, and move on. That’s human, that’s the appropriate response in drama, learning to discover that we do have a choice on how we perceive and react to various circumstances. This situation is best described as an instance of drama.

For some however, maybe the habitual response in this traffic situation is to react with anger and to possibly get even. Perhaps this is a frequent occurrence with the same reoccurring physical stress levels and negative reactive response. This could be an indication of not only how one deals with people in traffic but also in relationships in general within all facets of their life. This is just one example, but whatever the story or situation, when we go on reacting and repeating the same story over and over with the same characters and emotional response, we are in a state of chronic drama manifesting the same negative emotions and circumstances that we do not want. This ongoing chronic drama is a crippling way of living, depriving ourselves from the simplicity and richness of living a life that at its core is simple and inspiring. We can truly become enslaved drama addicts always reacting without real conscious choice. Drama is an unnatural, unhealthy way of living physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It is the converse of happiness and Simply Inspired Living, which is living life from a place of freedom and the ability to create a life for ourselves that we find to be simply inspiring.

There are two types of drama. We can say that there is reactive drama, such as the more obvious outward manifestations of dysfunctional relationship patterns, habitual addictions, and ongoing outbursts of anger. Reactive Drama is more descriptive of how we react to something we don’t like based on our perception of the situation and life-long habits. Yet there is an even more insidious form of drama that we may call passive drama which occurs at a more subconscious level of living. Passive drama is where we compromise and simply settle for ‘our lot’ in life in whatever form we believe that may be. Reactive drama is outward reaction to circumstance, while passive drama is the inward pain that we carry with us. Reactive drama is our pain outwardly expressed, while passive drama is our pain inwardly repressed.

A person who is involved in an unhealthy abusive relationship for example, is more than likely experiencing reactive drama on a continual basis having the same arguments, abuse, and reconciliation patterns with their partner. On a more passive level, they may go on for years experiencing the same negative internal dialogue and drama regarding self-worth and relationships. They may carry this passive drama story within them into their next relationship, or it may even keep them from entering into a relationship at all. Another example could be when one stifles the inner creativity of following their own dreams and passion in life and pursues employment that does not resonate within them. This may be a result of obligation to familial expectations, financial stress, or of fear of launching into the unknown. On the reactive level they may exhibit constant signs of job dissatisfaction, frequent changes of employment, office drama, procrastination, or addiction as some form of distraction. On the passive level of drama they may experience the ongoing deeper sentiment of feeling trapped, powerless, and a feeling of lack of purpose in life. In whatever the drama story, there is always a central reoccurring theme, the familiar actors and scenarios, all seemingly inflicting the same emotional response.

It is this underlying, passive drama that can result in ongoing depression, anxiety, addiction, health problems, and even a physical, if not emotional slow death. Today there are countless studies which increasingly show that our state of health is directly connected with our emotional state of well being. Cancer, heart conditions, depression, anxiety, and more, can all possibly be reflections of the level of drama we experience in our lives manifested as stress, anger, unforgiveness, the lack of feeling loved or having purpose in life. Ongoing chronic drama is not merely about the reactive outbursts of anger, addiction, or unhealthy relationships. It is also the result of our deep internal perception of who we are and how we perceive the universe. Living life from a primarily drama based mindset keeps us in bondage to persistent cycles of addiction and chains of unconscious decision. A drama-centric mind is not completely aware, traverses through life seemingly half asleep amidst constant reaction and endless chaotic judgments of person, place and circumstance, while imprisoned within a self-imposed shell of who they truly are. It is a life cut off from the freedom to consciously choose and participate fully, with awareness and love, the miracle, dance, ebb and flow of life.

Many times we may not even be aware of the drama within our lives and how we are affecting others. Sometimes estranged friends, acquaintances or relatives that have distanced themselves from us may have done so as a result of refusing to participate within the theatrical trailer we have created. Many times we are blind to the stories that we ourselves have created and the resulting drama we have set upon the movie screen of our lives. We are truly the writers, directors, and actors within the theatre of our own life experience.

So exactly what causes drama and how do we create or allow it into our lives? How do we get out of the cycles of tragedy that we may be experiencing? We typically believe any drama that we are encountering is an effect from people or external events. Yet drama is not a result of a person, place, or circumstance. Drama is a result of our own