Blog entry for:
Sat, Aug 27, 2011 08:48:15 AM
• today, i choose life by choosing recovery and caring of myself •
posted: Sat, Aug 27, 2011 08:48:15 AM
well my first work week is done, i did not die and i actually feel good about what it was that happened over the course of the week. of course, that does not mean my life is less full of activity today, and as a result, this will probably not be one of my longer entries either. who knows, perhaps as i get rolling down the path of choosing life, my muse will strike and i will lose track of time and space as i pound away at the keyboard.
if ii was asked back in the day, if i was really choosing life, i would have said of course, after all, i am still here. my very existence was proof of that choice. although my horizons at that time were obscured by the heavy pall of active addiction, that answer in and of itself was true and i was being as honest as i could be.
early recovery, the answer would have been yes, because i am choosing to stay clean and work a program, no matter how grudgingly and halting it was. that statement was also true in that context.
today, i look back and i look ahead and i see that choosing to live is more than just living a program. throughout my life, i was socially isolated, and did what i could to maintain that status,. after all, if i let no one in, i could not get hurt. nor would i be subject to all the additional effort and expectations that being socially connected placed upon someone. i could live my life in the quiet of my home and not be anything more to anyone else. a process that seems to have started by my last set of steps and is accelerating in this set as well, is that i am coming out of that cocoon of isolation and emerging into world, not quite sure of who or what i am, nor what my place is. all the social skills i should have learned are now being taught to me as this adolescent in a middle-aged body and those lessons are not easy to take after having so much and so little experience with life itself.
so yes i am choosing to live and yes i have to get on down the road as i have some social as well as professional commitments to uphold this morning. it is a great day to be a part of this world and perhaps, although it is not likely i will be back to write later.
if ii was asked back in the day, if i was really choosing life, i would have said of course, after all, i am still here. my very existence was proof of that choice. although my horizons at that time were obscured by the heavy pall of active addiction, that answer in and of itself was true and i was being as honest as i could be.
early recovery, the answer would have been yes, because i am choosing to stay clean and work a program, no matter how grudgingly and halting it was. that statement was also true in that context.
today, i look back and i look ahead and i see that choosing to live is more than just living a program. throughout my life, i was socially isolated, and did what i could to maintain that status,. after all, if i let no one in, i could not get hurt. nor would i be subject to all the additional effort and expectations that being socially connected placed upon someone. i could live my life in the quiet of my home and not be anything more to anyone else. a process that seems to have started by my last set of steps and is accelerating in this set as well, is that i am coming out of that cocoon of isolation and emerging into world, not quite sure of who or what i am, nor what my place is. all the social skills i should have learned are now being taught to me as this adolescent in a middle-aged body and those lessons are not easy to take after having so much and so little experience with life itself.
so yes i am choosing to live and yes i have to get on down the road as i have some social as well as professional commitments to uphold this morning. it is a great day to be a part of this world and perhaps, although it is not likely i will be back to write later.
∞ DT ∞
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
Another Look!
choosing life 196 words ➥ Friday, August 27, 2004 by: donnot↔ weed, whites and wine ↔ 378 words ➥ Saturday, August 27, 2005 by: donnot
∞ even in recovery, i may still treat myself as if i am worthless ∞ 397 words ➥ Sunday, August 27, 2006 by: donnot
μ in recovery, the first pattern i change is the pattern of using μ 502 words ➥ Monday, August 27, 2007 by: donnot
∞ choosing recovery means choosing life. ∞ 597 words ➥ Wednesday, August 27, 2008 by: donnot
± active addiction is a smoldering death-wish ± 458 words ➥ Thursday, August 27, 2009 by: donnot
¢ a change from self-destructive patterns of my life is what is needed ¢ 495 words ➥ Friday, August 27, 2010 by: donnot
♥ my self-destructive behavior usually went ♥ 624 words ➥ Monday, August 27, 2012 by: donnot
∀ each time i avoid self-destructive behavior, ∀ 611 words ➥ Tuesday, August 27, 2013 by: donnot
ƒ i decide each day that i want to live and be free ƒ 603 words ➥ Wednesday, August 27, 2014 by: donnot
∫ choosing to live ∫ 716 words ➥ Thursday, August 27, 2015 by: donnot
🌸 my life in active addition, 🌺 717 words ➥ Saturday, August 27, 2016 by: donnot
👣 my journey into life 🐾 710 words ➥ Sunday, August 27, 2017 by: donnot
💀 the self-destructive patterns 🐜 708 words ➥ Monday, August 27, 2018 by: donnot
🕱 courting death 🕱 561 words ➥ Tuesday, August 27, 2019 by: donnot
🌀 far deeper 🌀 573 words ➥ Thursday, August 27, 2020 by: donnot
😎 changing the 😕 520 words ➥ Friday, August 27, 2021 by: donnot
👺 taking care 👼 530 words ➥ Saturday, August 27, 2022 by: donnot
🤔 discernment 🤐 437 words ➥ Sunday, August 27, 2023 by: donnot
😏 sound judgment 😏 502 words ➥ Tuesday, August 27, 2024 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 1
1) All-pervading is the Great Tao! It may be found on the left hand
and on the right.