TreatmentTalk

Treatment Talk Monthly Message – March 2012

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” ~ E. E. Cummings

Fear seems like a hot topic these days.

It is a topic that many of us are interested in so that we can move our lives forward.

Fear can stop us in our tracks. It can hold us back from our dreams and keep us stuck in a life that is unfulfilling.

As I’m reading about fear, my thoughts turn around to those with courage.

Do you feel courage?

Are you one of those fearless people who, as your habits were leading you to self destruction, made the tough decision to turn your life around. It may have been easier and less frightening to stay in your current situation. Instead, you found the courage, cleansed your life and began again.

You found the ability to do what seemed right.

If you or your family feels the sting of addiction, recovery can dangle as a tempting dream, just out of reach.

Many have found the courage to make a change and find recovery. You may be one who has turned your life around and found an amazing drug-free life.You may have decided to let go of being addicted to the addict.

You may have discovered your passion.

You have limitless potential. When you create the best conditions in which to grow, you rediscover self love and the joy of living.

Life opens up to you.

Do you want to know more about how to find your courage?

Check out Tess Marshall’s Take Your Fear and Shove It Course. It is an amazing course that gives you action oriented steps to improve your mental, emotional, and physical state.

It takes courage to turn your life around. Give yourself that extra nudge and grab all that is waiting for you. Courage is a step by step process. As your fear fades away, life will become full of meaning, adventure and fun!

It is all there for the taking.

Read these amazing posts for more insights on how to move your life along with courage.

What if I Hide, Aileen Mahoney

Discover Your Higher Self: Get Your 21-Step Confidence Building Series, by Farnoosh Brock

Three Ways to Forgive Yourself and Avoid Self Destruction, By Nea Joy Justice

A Little Inspiration

Live your life knowing that people are inherently good, with unlimited potential to do great things.

It is our actions and behaviors that define us to our friends, families, and fellow man, and the continued positives we display in life will have that much more of a domino effect and spread good will and joy to those around us.

It makes no difference what corner of the world we come from, what color our skin is, what religion we adhere to, how much money we have in the bank, what kind of car we drive, or where it is we go on vacation – for the value of any human being is how well he or she treats others.

Having a good heart, and being sweet and kind to others – especially those less fortunate and in need – is what really counts in life.

Inspire those who you come into contact with on a daily basis.

Make sure you constantly provide positive reinforcement, and let them know that they, as you do too, have greatness in them.

Show them, through your actions, that they will never be alone, and make an indelible mark on their lives in the process.

Those who care for others and give of themselves, receive it back tenfold.

Life is a beautiful thing, and we must always be sure to slow down enough in our daily travels to share this joy with friend and stranger alike.

The next time you see someone who seems down on their luck, give them a smile, and let them know they have greatness in them.

For, in doing so, you have just proved that you have greatness in you.

~ Gary Goldstein, inspirational speaker on addiction and recovery.

Last Month’s Posts

Thanks as always for reading. Remember you are not alone and there is always hope!

How has fear held you back? Share how you have used courage to reach your goals? Let us know in comments.

take care,

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” ~John Lennon

I have found through the years that no matter what has happened in my life, it is still possible to live a life of joy.

I have experienced some of the same things that you may have experienced such as loss of family members, divorce, and an addicted child. Even less stressful things such as moving or letting go of a job can cause a certain amount of anxiety.

Struggles and challenges can get in the way if we let them, yet we can keep the inner joy intact, like an internal flame never to be extinguished.

When things happen that we weren’t expecting, we tend to want to look back and understand what we could have done differently, yet letting our mind wander into that dark place doesn’t help us live in the moment and experience right now.

We can make that decision get our lives back and find some joy. It is up to us to make the call on what we choose to see and focus on.

Prevention is certainly powerful, and I know I would do some things differently if I had a do over, but I remind myself that I did the best I could at the time with the knowledge that I had. I hope you do that as well, and let go of blaming yourself if your child has an addiction, or there is some other family issue that you are dealing with.

I also can’t let go of the feeling that life happens for a reason, and there are lessons to be learned from each experience. As time goes on the lessons have become more clear.

“Remember yesterday, dream of tomorrow, but live for today.”

Anything is possible for our lives. When we let go of that inner turmoil, we can go on to live a life with meaning and joy.

1. How You Can Make Sure that You Are Living Today Better than Yesterday, by Sibyl Chavis

2. What is on the Dashboard of Your Life?, by Ken Wert

3. A Dark and Stormy Night Miracle!, by Betsy Henry

A Little Inspiration

I’ve been learning more about the Enneagram recently, which is a system that describes nine distinct and fundamentally different patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting. Underneath each of the nine patterns is a basic proposition, or belief, about what you need in life for survival and satisfaction.

The Enneagram provides us with the path to healthy relationships as it reaches down to the core of our personality pattern and consequently to our adaptive strategy.

Learning about the Enneagram has helped me understand more about my original whole self, and my unconscious motivation. It would be helpful to anyone wanting to know more about how they function in the world, and possibly why they wandered into substance or addiction.

By chance I came across some inspiration from David Daniels, MD is clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford Medical School, a leading developer of the Enneagram system of nine personality styles as well as co-author of The Essential Enneagram.

“I urge us all to embody this stance of living each day fully so that if it is our last day, there are no or few regrets. To make this true, I stop several times a day for perhaps simply a minute or so each time to reflect on presence and purpose and how to live this day fully.

To do this simple, yet not easy task of living love each day requires that we all realize the embedded habitual pattern that we formed as little children to adapt to the world as we experienced it then. Yet then is not now. We all need to become aware of our early pattern so that we can understand the pattern and liberate ourselves from its constraints.

All the great traditions recognize that we humans are subject to automatic behavior for better and worse. The task is to observe the pattern to liberate ourselves from its constraints and reclaim our highest qualities of hope, faith, and above all love.

We need to make each day our path to wholeness of mind, heart, and spirit. So my mantra is, ‘May I live this day in love’s kindness and its companion of non-judgmental receptivity and presence in each moment.’”

Also by Tara Correll, social activist and empowerment coach

“Your inner voice is your spiritual guide reminding you, constantly, to stay the course. It speaks truth. Are you listening?

When we’re young our mind and heart are open to “possibility.” We naturally gravitate toward and have an innate yearning for what our life purpose holds, what it’s meant to be. As we evolve life gets in the way at times, sending us “off course.” If we don’t allow ourselves the luxury of quiet and meditation, our ability to disseminate the messages that come our way become clouded.”