“If you don’t see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner.” — Zig Ziglar I just got off the phone with one of the most amazing men I have ever met. When I hung-up enormous emotion engulfed me. Jack Jackson made an impact in my life in a very short period … Read more
On my desk is a paperweight that says, “Never, Never, Never Quit! Sir Winston Churchill I had asked my friend from Northern Ireland, Carolyn Hughes to write a post to share with us on Happy Recovery. This morning I received an email from her that said, “Dear Dan Hope you are well! I read your … Read more
Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches or pounds or college degrees, or family background; they are measured by the size of their thinking. — David Schwartz How we think is everything. There is so much incorrect thinking going on when it comes to recovery. People are often misinformed specifically on the … Read more
Promise a lot but deliver even more. — Seth Godin This I have found to be the truth when it comes to my recovery experience. The promises on pages 83 and 84 of the Big Book are clear, “They will always materialize if we work for them”! What is a promise? It is a guarantee … Read more
“The successful always has a number of projects planned, to which he looks forward. Any one of them could change the course of his life overnight.” — Mark Caine The “one day at a time” principle is the guiding light in keeping our minds from racing. In early recovery we often feel as if staying … 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
You may have fooled yourself into thinking that it’s useful or unavoidable, but it’s not. — Seth Godin I recently read Seth’s blog on worry and I realized that we all worry whether we are addicts, alcoholics or simply earthlings! Worry is expressed in many ways, for some of us it comes in the form of … Read more
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true there is life and joy. Proverb I have been speaking to many rehabilitation programs lately, especially those centers on the West Coast, particularly California. I have been fortunate to have been able to speak with Chad Carlsen the co-founder and Executive Director of Hope … Read more
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. — Helen Keller Doors open and close in our lives. When they do we must take decisive action. Waiting for the perfect answer leaves room … Read more
My mind is a garden. My thoughts are the seeds. My harvest will be either flower or weeds. -Mel Weldon What we put in we will get out, we sow what we reap. If we plant vegetables we will harvest food to sustain us. If we plant weeds we will be full of inconsistency and … Read more