Seeds to New Understanding

 

“We cannot force someone to hear a message they are not ready to receive, but we must never underestimate the power of planting a seed.”

I love this quote because what you preach may not always fall on deaf ears. This reinforces the premise that we each have the right to our own thoughts and opinions, we each have the right to take the time we need to evaluate and make up our own minds in due course. I wouldn't be living a sober life today if it wasn't for that.

We live in such an instant-feedback world that when someone doesn’t respond immediately or at least quickly to something, it's pretty common to see them being dismissed or written off. I know I can be guilty of that. You wonder why they just don't get it! Feelings of disappointment or even resentment can crop up, further eroding sometimes difficult situations. 

Patience can be in short supply these days, and we seem to have lost the fine art of trusting the process. Time is an important factor when planting a seed, for just as in nature each type of seed has different timelines and nutritional requirements. Hence, we each bloom in our own time. 

Even if we don’t change another person’s mind, we ourselves stand to gain more than we stand to lose by being patient and waiting for seeds to sprout. So here's to seeing it unfold according to the laws of nature. 

Written and posted by Rachel G

Taking the Leap to True Change

People take monumental comfort in what's familiar to them. Whatever you're accustomed to becomes your default mode. If you're used to feeling disappointed by people or treated badly, or that you're lonely, unattractive, not strong enough, too old or too broke, then this is exactly what you're going to get because you know how it feels. And though it may not be a desirable feeling or outcome, it's highly predictable to you. Letting go of what's familiar is like moving into a new country where you don't speak the language. You have to learn slowly how to engage in a new way, which involves a deeply frustrating kind of tedium. The new place isn't familiar; it doesn't feel predictable or comfortable. You have no idea how to connect. You see all the locals who seem to easily navigate the land and you feel that you'll never be at that level. It's too hard so you retreat back to your old mind set because at least there, you know exactly what you're going to get. 

True change takes real guts and on the most part involves growing pains. Just like moving to another country you will eventually learn the language and embrace change from the inside out. But it’s a hell of a lot better than staying stagnant or stuck in the same loop. Ask anyone who makes the leap to transforming their lives and they will admit, it was worth the climb every step of the way.  

Written and posted by Rachel G

It’s September, National Recovery Month

This month is a time when we may gratefully reflect on our own recovery and at the same time, have the opportunity to help educate our communities. From a historical perspective, we can certainly celebrate that there is a public acknowledgment of Recovery as a national event. This demonstrates some progress in addressing the stigma of substance use disorder. We have, over the past several years, increased awareness about the science of the disorder and the fact that there are an estimated 22 million plus people in the U.S. that identify themselves as in recovery. We are no longer fully in the shadows. As a community we can take pride in knowing we’ve put a dent in the stigma related to our disorder
 
However we must continue to elevate the voices of those in recovery. We need to identify the inequities in our systems that present challenges to those seeking recovery. We need to address the inequities in healthcare and healthcare coverage as it relates to all mental health disorders. We need to expand our understanding of the definition of recovery and honor one that is inclusive and not just focused on one program or path. In other words, we have to keep growing in our knowledge, our understanding and our education. We owe it to those who are still struggling to continue our quest to reach more people in more ways.  
 
How can you get involved? One can look as close as your local recovery community organizations to see what events they’re having to honor those in recovery. You can find regional events listed here: https://rm.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org 

Posted by Rachel G

People that Annoy Us

There will always be factors and people that we cannot control; how we respond can determine the quality of our lives.

There are many stories of spiritual masters embracing the presence of an annoying student in their community. There is even one story that documents a teacher paying an irritating person to live among his students. From an everyday perspective, this is difficult to comprehend. We generally work hard to avoid people and things that we find annoying so they don't bother us.

From a deeper spiritual perspective, however, irritation can be an important teacher and indicator that we are making progress on our path. Being able to remain centered and awake even when we feel uncomfortable is much more impressive than doing so in an environment where everything is to our liking. No matter how good we are at controlling our circumstances, there will always be factors and people that we cannot control. How we respond to these experiences to a great degree determines the quality of our lives. The goal of spiritual development is not to learn to control our environment--which is more of an ego-driven desire. And while having some measure of control over our external reality is important, it is when we are confronted with a person or situation that irritates us and we can choose not to react that we know have made progress spiritually. It is when we have mastered our internal reality that we will have become the masters of our lives.

The more we try to eliminate annoyances, instead of learning to handle them gracefully, the further we get from developing the qualities that come with spiritual growth, such as patience, tolerance, and acceptance. It is often in the presence of people and experiences we find annoying that we have an opportunity to develop these qualities. Fortunately for most of us, our lives offer an abundance of opportunities to practice and cultivate these traits.

By Madisyn Taylor, from DailyOm

Posted by Rachel G

What "MindBender" means to me

Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics.

As I work with new sponsees and talk to the newcomer ...the revelation is startling always the same: their thinking is sick, just as mine was and still is from time to time. 

Coming into the program I thought I was the one exception and that the program would not work for me, I was too sick! 

However, with complete honesty, and higher power, and continued dedication no matter how many times I failed ...I can now safely say my mind has been bent and programmed to think different. I have been mind bended, safely for the better!

Written and posted by Andrea E