“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde Living life to the fullest is so important especially for folks recovering from addiction. We do not get sober to merely exist, our second chance in life comes with a price. The price is to simply take … Read more
“Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.” Leonardo da Vinci I am never amazed when I hear the question, “do I have to do this forever”? or the statement, “I am not going to meetings forever”! The … Read more
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. — Richard Buckminster Fuller I do a quick exercise in my lectures I ask someone to put their hand up against mine. I put a little pressure on their hand with mine and … Read more
“If one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better.” – Jane Austen Recovery is our second attempt to do it right. What is “IT”? Simply, “life”. We have failed the route of partying for happiness and now we must learn a new … Read more
“Once the ‘what’ is decided, the ‘how’ always follows. We must not make the ‘how’ an excuse for not facing and accepting the ‘what.’” – Pearl S. Buck We are blessed to have twelve-step programs and other mutual support recovery groups. The HOW is outlined for us. Tony Robbins is quoted as saying, “Success leaves … Read more
There is, however a vast amount of fun about it all. I suppose some would be shocked at our seeming worldliness and levity. —Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., pg. 16 Having fun in life is key to living a joyous life. Often the biggest roadblock in the early recovery process is the belief that alcohol or … Read more
“Trust your hunches. They’re usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level.” – Dr. Joyce Brothers Have you ever had a conversation with someone and you mention a song but you just can not remember the name or the artist? You look up into the air for the answer and just can … Read more
“Hope is not a dream, but a way of making dreams become reality.” – Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens Yesterday I was speaking with a fellow that is clean and sober now for two years. He has a similar story he went to prison young and started his education in prison. He like me, had no … Read more
“The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one’s work seriously and taking one’s self seriously. The first is imperative, the second is disastrous.” – Margot Fonteyn In the Twelve and Twelve on page 148 rule number 62 is offered, “Don’t take yourself too damn seriously.” I remember I … Read more
The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave. Thomas Jefferson Freedom from the bondage of addiction takes work. Working through the good times as well as the not so good times. The waters are rough at times for all of us recovering people are not excluded from this act of nature. We learn … Read more