July 15th, 2018
These are bold words. And more directly related to the process of addiction recovery, they could not be. Whenever we find ourselves trapped within a rigid emotional pattern that we did not consciously choose, it indicates that we have a lesson to learn before we are able to transcend this pattern. Every feeling of discomfort holds the opportunity for this type of lesson should we decide to see it this way . . .
July 8th, 2018
The process of recovery from addiction is necessarily an imperfect one. If it were easy to transcend our addictions, then we would simply do so. There would be little need for intervention, rehabilitation and detoxification centers, or even for reading passages such as this. But addictive patterns are deeply imbedded and usually connected to emotional wounds that lie deep within our psyches . . .
July 1st, 2018
Recovery means changing the very nature of the way we process and experience difficulty. It means taking a closer look at what has led to a painful experience of consciousness, getting rid of the means of distraction from this pain (addictions) and then changing our experience of consciousness in a lasting, meaningful, and healthy way.
June 24th, 2018
Today’s quotation brings up two important points. First and foremost, it mentions the ‘burden of self’, a concept at the very heart of addictive patterns. Much of life is unavoidably burdensome. If we don’t learn to address this inevitable aspect of the human experience in direct and healthy ways, we may create emotional short cuts in the form of addictions.
June 17th, 2018
It is up to each recovering person to take sole responsibility for the direction of their life—and, of course, for their recovery. This does not mean that we should ever try to be free of influence, support, and community, only that we must learn to be the director of our recovery path.
June 10th, 2018
Recovering from addiction is not miraculous. It can range from very difficult to rare, depending on the particular addiction and the person addicted, but it never requires a miracle. It is no more miraculous to work our way out of our addictive patterns than it was finding our way into them.