By every form of self-deception and experimentation, [real alcoholics] will try to prove themselves exceptions to the rule …. Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., pg. 31 Alcoholism and addiction are cunning, baffling and powerful! Quite frankly, for those of us that have the “Creature” it owns us when we are in it! We justify, rationalize and … Read more
“You think about what is going on, where you are going to be, off in the middle of nowhere, stuck in a shelter and it worries you,” — Samantha Garvey You probably do not know who Samantha Garvey is, personally I have never met her, but I had the opportunity to read up on her in … Read more
“People are defeated by easy, victorious and cheap successes more than by adversity.” — Benjamin Disraeli In early recovery we must be diligent of both sides of the coin the positive and the negative. We are extremely sensitive in the early stages of the process. Sometimes it is the broken shoelace that sends us over … Read more
“Character isn’t inherited. One builds it daily by the way one thinks and acts, thought by thought, action by action. If one lets fear or hate or anger take possession of the mind, they become self-forged chains.” — Helen Douglas Implementing the Steps is much more than just taking the Steps! I have worked with … Read more
“Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for truth.” – Benjamin Disraeli Many of us were taught to not show our emotions. As we grow in our recovery we learn that our emotions are real and they represent how we actually are feeling. We begin to recognize that showing our feelings … Read more
A life of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually. One must fight for a life of action, not reaction. – Rita Mae Brown E + R = O. Event plus response equals outcome! Learning to respond to adversity or simply life events, is crucial for the individual in recovery. When things go … Read more
Enthusiasm is the most beautiful word in the world. – Christian Morgenstern I do not classify myself as a linguist however I love words when I recognize their meaning and root. In this case according to Dictionary.com the root of the word enthusiasm, is Greek, énthous, variant of éntheos having a god within. The meaning … Read more
Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience. Victoria Holt Regret is a terrible thing we all make mistakes if we learn from the mistakes we move on. If we don’t we live in regret. That is correct, many people think that learning from mistakes means that we never make the … Read more
One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them. — Virginia Woolf It is amazing how many people share their experience strength and hope in social media circles. There is not a day that goes by where I … Read more
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. — Abraham Lincoln We have all heard that we should HALT, i.e. not get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. In its place we need to RELAX: Realize my worth, never confuse what we do for … Read more