“Change is the essence of life; be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become” – Reinhold Neibur I’m not a Buddhist, but I deeply appreciate something a Buddhist monk recently said: “Some people panic at things being out of control. However, we can also choose to be with things being out…
Why Use the 12 Step Approach? It’s indisputable. Addiction recovery experts agree AA and NA meetings are the “go-to” place after rehab. If you were lucky, you were heavily exposed to one or both of these fellowships in treatment. The best addiction centers connect clients to support groups with a formal goal in the first…
What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s s’pozed to be. – Anonymous For most of us who’ve found our way into recovery, there came a time when it was plain as day we needed to change our minds about “how life works” – that is, what…
AA Big Book Chapter 2 THERE IS A SOLUTION We, of ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, know thousands of men and women who were once just as hopeless as Bill. Nearly all have recovered. They have solved the drink problem. We are average Americans. All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented, as well…
Recovery is … … being honest with myself … being able to enjoy life without drinking or using drugs like I used to … living a life that contributes to society, to your family or to your betterment … being the kind of person that people can count on … about giving back … striving…
BALANCING ACT 4-7-17 LET GO: of unhealthy extremes. PRACTICE balanced recovery. REMEMBER “Many alcoholics are enthusiasts. They run to extremes.” BB p. 126. You think?? We, along with Mae West, often say: “Too much of a good thing is wonderful.” While visiting a meeting off my beaten path, I was intrigued to hear so many members…
BLIND SPOTS 4-7-17 LET GO: of unacknowledged prejudice, defects, bias, rationalization. PRACTICE: paying attention to “blind spot warnings.” REMEMBER: Neat technology! Another bell/whistle on my Pathfinder is the “blind spot warning system.” It recognizes (even if we don’t) that we all have blind spots while driving. And, it flashes a signal when a car is in…
Early recovery can be strengthened through meaningful work. Continued recovery remains the top priority during this exciting time. Experience has taught us that jobs that support early recovery adhere to the following criteria: Daytime hours Regular hours (reliable and consistent) Alcohol-free work environment Regular pay W2 form issued Not tip-based (except for daytime, alcohol-free restaurant) No…