Tag Archives: Recovery Journey

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 17th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – send positive thoughts


Word power


Words can lead us into new ways of thinking.
Advertising copywriters say that, among the most
powerful words in the English language are: You,
Imagine, Now, Because, and Believe.

These are said
the be the words that influence us the most – we can
view them as follows:

  • You: focus for empathy
  • Imagine: the start of hope
  • Now: the call to action
  • Because: the gateway to understanding
  • Believe: achieve the impossible.

Perhaps what works for copywriters works for those
recovering from addiction. Try combining them in a
sentence such as: You are stronger than you
imagine and you can decide now to change your
life, because if you believe in yourself, you can do
anything. Feel the power of that! Sometimes,
looking at ourselves from a different perspective
gives us new insights. Am I keeping an open mind?
Every day in recovery is an opportunity to explore
new ideas of spirituality and creativity. I give thanks
for the power of words, correctly used.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 16th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations


Easy does it


Few people foresee happiness in the act of
surrender, yet that is what will happen for us, if we
take that first step. Yet we should not try too hard.
‘Easy does it’ as they say in AA. Trying too hard, like
perfectionism can be self-defeating. Indeed, they
can be a sign that our acceptance is perhaps not as
wholehearted as we imagine. Far better to progress
at a steady pace and hand the process over to our
Higher Power. Am I aware of the dangers of trying
too hard?


Instead of driving ourselves to extremes of
thoroughness while doing the Steps, we could try
looking outside ourselves and helping others. There
are so many ways of doing this – service in
fellowships, taking the message to those struggling
with addiction, pulling one’s weight in the family, or
extending the hand of friendship to complete
strangers who may be in difficulties. All these
actions benefit both giver and receiver, but they also
can serve as profound examples to others of positive
affirmative action. I ask that today I will do my best
and that every choice I make will be the right one.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 15th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – Listen to the silence

Unity


Unity is the bedrock of personal recovery. The
founders of Alcoholics Anonymous appreciated this
quite early on. If we cannot recover together in
unity, then our whole fellowship – its structure and
its members – will melt away, leaving us without
support of any kind. We may become too weak to
survive on our own. Your fellowship needs you! I
have a responsibility to support the organisation
that has given me so much. The idea that: I can’t
but we can is not unique to Twelve Step Fellowships
but is nevertheless true. Am I aware of the
importance of unity?


A Twelve Step fellowship is democracy in action
(though it has been described as ‘high-functioning
anarchy’). We act together, not as individuals. That
means there is no leader, no one person in charge
who makes rules or decisions on our behalf. Nobody
has the right to ban us or stifle dissent and everyone
may have their own views. Hierarchies and rules
lead to punishments, resentments and disunity.
Responsibility, unselfishness and love bind us
together. For that, I give thanks.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 13th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment


Step Ten


Am I regularly checking that I am heading in the
right direction? This Step highlights the fact that
recovery is for life and the Twelve Steps are not just
to be ‘done’ and then forgotten. The fact is that
addiction is never finished with us and therefore we
must never relax and call ourselves cured. Regular
maintenance and vigilance are required. We now
have purpose and structure back in our lives to help
us so that it becomes a habit.. Am I keeping my
recovery strong through regular maintenance?

I must keep a watch for the old enemies: dishonesty,
selfishness, resentments, and laziness. The best way
of making sure they don’t come back is to keep
following the programme because if I interact with
the right people, any emerging character defect will
be highlighted in contrast to those following the
programme correctly. I must immerse myself in the
three legacies – Recovery, Unity and Service. I am grateful to be part of a Twelve Step fellowship.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 11th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably


Humour


Humour has many forms. The acts of smiling and laughing are good for us because they help the brain release feel-good chemicals. Humour is also relaxing and calms anxiety. Perhaps a sense of humour is the most important tool we have to help us learn life’s lessons. A chicken said to a pig: Isn’t it awesome that we both have a part in the great British breakfast of bacon and eggs? Yes, replied the pig, but you just contribute, while I make a full commitment. With humour we can learn and remember truths that change our attitudes. Am I ready to use humour to help my recovery?

Recovery is there to be enjoyed positively and shared laughter ha power as great as anything serious. The ancient Greeks gave tragedy and comedy equal status. Humour helps us see things in differently. The direst situations can appear more manageable with the injection of humour. Addiction is a serious business but humour can be one of the tools I use to achieve recovery. I wish to be ‘better than well’ and that certainly includes laughter. The Twelve Step fellowships provide friendship, kindness and humour and for these I am grateful.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 10th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – relax your body


Commitment


The Irish writer Brendan Behan was a committed Republican whose activities landed him in prison in the nineteen-forties. An alcoholic from an early age, Behan described himself as: ‘a drinker with a writing problem.’ He is remembered for his humour, once saying: I’ve joined Alcoholics Anonymous – I’m drinking under an assumed name. Sadly, he died aged forty-one, after collapsing in a Dublin pub. His life was gradually taken over by alcohol. He was unable to make a lasting commitment to sobriety. Addicted people can seem very lovable and amusing but, their lives often end in unhappiness and despair. Am I committed to sobriety?

Commitment means following a course of action even when it becomes hard, and you want to stop. This can be a challenge in early recovery because many of us have become used to giving up and running away from adversity and pain. Early sobriety and times when we crave our addiction of choice should be recognised. It is good to plan responses, such as people whose help may be asked and activities that will change our mindset. Today I ask for the courage to keep to my commitments.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 8th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations


Facing challenges


Danish physicist and Nobel laureate Niels Bohr was born on this day in 1885. An agnostic with a sense of humour, he is famous for his dictum about the horseshoe he kept over his front door: They say it works, even if you don’t believe in it. Difficulties should be welcomed as great opportunities, he said: Every great
and deep difficulty bears in itself its own
solution. Such words should resonate with those in early recovery. Do I see life’s challenges as opportunities for growth?


Our ability as humans to create problems seems to be matched by our ability to find solutions. Here are some methods:

  • Keep positive: easy does it
  • Plan – a day at a time
  • Accept help: let go and let God
  • Focus: what really matters?
  • Don’t over-think: keep it simple
  • When I embrace challenges, I grow in maturity. It is all part of reversing the lifestyle that started with my powerlessness and unmanageability. I give thanks today for the Twelve Steps.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 6th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly


Higher Power

Higher Power is not easy to define, and we will never know the true meaning. Here’s one person’s thoughts:
Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake some day and take offense. Annie Dillard, Pulitzer Prize winner.
Can I treat my Higher Power with respect and not take it for granted?


The point is, that what we need for recovery is a Power that is greater than the evil of addiction. Names and labels are less important. A ‘Power greater than ourselves’ is the requirement. I am grateful that I have a Higher Power to rely on?

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 5th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment


Revisiting the past


But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis.
There are dangers in revisiting the past, as Lot’s wife discovered to her cost. It is not wrong for us to do so, as long as we do not linger there too long. Even if our own past lives were not Sodom and Gomorrah, there is a danger that too much focus on the past may lead us to euphoric recall of imagined ‘good times’ that were in reality, anything but. In looking back, Lot’s wife displayed a very human side showing nostalgia for what was probably both good and bad. Am I ready to put the past behind me?


The past is another country, where we can no longer dwell, though we may visit. It is for many of us, a place of shame but it can also be a valuable asset. When I remember the past as something that it was not – a place of fun and thrills, I put myself in danger. But if I remember the past as it really was – a place of anger, hatred and dishonesty, I am giving myself a powerful reason to hold on to the blessings of my present new life. Today I ask for the honesty to confront the reality of the past.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 4th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – feel your body from head to toes.


Problem-solving


You have a problem that you find stressful and as a
result, you drink. You then have two problems, and
your mental state now renders you less capable of
dealing with either. What seems a problem to one
person may seem minor to another. Some people
welcome challenges, some catastrophise the
smallest incident. Problems, in other words, are as
big as we think they are. Yet, if we sincerely trust
our Higher Power, we can deal with anything that
life throws us. Do I trust my Higher Power enough
to hand over the problems that I find difficult?


I can choose to change my attitude to any event by
handing it over to my Higher Power and trusting it
will guide me. Then I just need to sincerely try to
do the right thing, according to my conscience. At
such moments, it can help to have a role model in
mind – someone whom I really respect – perhaps a
fellowship member. If I can’t ask them directly, I
can ask myself: what would Joe do in this situation?
There is a solution to every problem, as long as I
seek guidance in finding it. Today I give thanks for
the guidance that I trust my Higher Power to give