I will vote “yes” to an idea even if “it’s impossible.” Dr. Robert Schuller In recovery we speak of open-mindedness in the recovery process. Yet, for many years I was open-minded about my recovery process yet closed off to any other suggestions that were not part of a self-help perspective. I believed I was sick … Read more
When I got sober my friend Tommy G gave me a book called the Be Happy Attitudes by Dr. Robert Schuller. The book was awesome it was a spiritual book based on the Beatitudes, that guided you to a better life, a way to overcome any challenge and live with purpose. I used that book … Read more
The Buddha was asked, “Where do our (fearful) thoughts come from?” He replied, “you are shot with an arrow, you have an arrow in your body but before you remove it from your body you need to know the particulars: who shot it, why did they shoot it or where did it come from?” We … Read more
“Unnecessary fear of a bad decision is a major stumbling block to good decisions.” — Jim Camp Fear often drives our decisions or lack thereof. Some folks indicate that fear of success is included in not making a proactive decision to change. For those of us that are recovering and those of us that are … Read more
“It’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you use that makes a difference.” —Zig Ziglar Yesterday my son Sean posted on my Facebook page a congratulatory message for attaining 9,000 days of continuous sobriety. I tried to think back about what was going on in the world in 1988. I couldn’t remember a thing to … Read more
“Freedom of choice is more to be treasured than any possession earth can give.” – David O. McKay For many years I did not recognize that I had the freedom to choose. I was stuck in the merry-go-round of addiction. I could not see the forest from the trees and vice versa. Unlike some folks, … Read more
“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Lao-Tzu I knew that the direction I was heading was leading me down the wrong road. I wanted to make a difference in this world. I didn’t want to be a statistic. I was in human service before I got … Read more
“It’s not how often you get off track that impacts your life. It’s how fast you notice you are off track and what you learn that determines where you end up.” – Marshall Sylver As I teach recovery principles to folks one of the principles I drum home is the idea that we can make … Read more
Nature never hurries. Atom by atom, little by little she achieves her work. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Living life on life’s terms was always something that confused me. I always wanted to rush life, get through every challenge quickly with the results I wanted and NOW. I remember thinking, “if I can just get through this, … Read more
Shun idleness. It is the rust that attaches itself to the most brilliant metals. — Voltaire I have heard it said that “we are either moving forward or moving backwards”. “We are moving away from a drink or towards a drink”. In life remaining stagnant is not necessarily the best plan. My late mentor and friend … Read more