Blog entry for:

Thu, Nov 24, 2011 11:24:37 AM


♥ i HAVE been given much in recovery; staying clean DOES pay off ♥
posted: Thu, Nov 24, 2011 11:24:37 AM

 

acceptance of my life, just for today, frees me from self-pity. it is after 10:00 AM and i have just got out of the shower and am just now writing this little exercise in random brain waves down. it is not like i really slept in, i was up by 6:30. it is not like i did bunches of work, just the one hour of my every day stuff. i did, however, get my dish for Thanksgiving done and the ki9tchen cleaned- up afterwards -- i really am one of the sloppiest cooks around when you have to clean-up after me. in retrospect, i accomplished much and am exactly at the place i need to be right now.
which of course, brings me to the reading. among the lies i tell msyelf is that i am somehow not good enough. yes, it is true, that lie comes less frequently these days and i believe less often nevertheless, it is part of my repertoire. it is the core of wallowing in self-pity, as IF i am not good enough, even after all i have been given in recovery, why should i even bother to continue? minimizing my gifts, those that are innate as well as those i have acquired, allows the sick part of me to flourish. no matter , how well i may actually be, that lie is the most invidious and dangerous, as it leads down a dark path of self-loathing and self-pity.
to counter this, i HAVE a program of recovery, that allows me to look at things as they really are, most of the time. when i get in the way of seeing that, i have friends and a sponsor, who can remove the garbage that prevents me from seeing me for who i really am, a recovering human being, who spend a great part of his life trapped in the self-obsession that can be called active addiction. in fact, i even have a POWER in my life that is far more powerful than the part of em i call my addict and that can and will free me from the depths that my unmet expectations may take me.it always seems to come down to this simple fact: when i am wallowing in self-pity, what i really am i angry that my little plans, despite my best effort, did not come out EXACTLY as i desired. everything else is the smoke and mirrors that prevent me from cutting to the chase. in reality i have a very full and gifted life, starting with the fact that i did not have to use yesterday and i have no desire to use today. i have a warm place to sleep and i have people in my life who love just as i am. i have the means to support myself and even take good care of myself. i have FAITH that if allow IT i will be given everything i need to thrive today, from the POWER that fuels my recovery. all of this is enough to counter the ‘BUTS’ and ‘WHAT IFs!’
so with a bit of gratitude in my heart, i think i will head on over to do a whole lot more of nothing much. i have dinner with the family after today and cousins from out of town coming in tomorrow and no one expecting me to be anywhere before Monday morning, so i will just kick back and let this day roll on, it is after all as my friend Joe reminds me from time tio time, a great day to be clean.

∞ DT ∞

 

djtConsulting Brand
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.

Another Look!

grateful for my life? just as it is today? 153 words ➥ Wednesday, November 24, 2004 by: donnot
↔ thanksgiving, expectation and gratitude  ↔ 306 words ➥ Thursday, November 24, 2005 by: donnot
∞ i may have expectations about how my life should be in recovery, expectations that are not always met. ∞ 515 words ➥ Saturday, November 24, 2007 by: donnot
σ there are days when i wallow in self-pity. it is easy to do σ 462 words ➥ Monday, November 24, 2008 by: donnot
⊄ when the world does not measure up to my expectations ⊄ 614 words ➥ Tuesday, November 24, 2009 by: donnot
⊗ at times i entertain the thought that staying clean is not paying off ⊗ 739 words ➥ Wednesday, November 24, 2010 by: donnot
› the more i try to make my life conform ‹ 441 words ➥ Saturday, November 24, 2012 by: donnot
〈  there are certainly times when i entertain the thought 〉 819 words ➥ Sunday, November 24, 2013 by: donnot
• acceptance of my life, • 666 words ➥ Monday, November 24, 2014 by: donnot
🙋 gratefully recovering 🙌 616 words ➥ Tuesday, November 24, 2015 by: donnot
😨 self-pity arises 😭 857 words ➥ Thursday, November 24, 2016 by: donnot
🌃 adjusting my expectations 🌃 421 words ➥ Friday, November 24, 2017 by: donnot
😒 on finding 😩 333 words ➥ Sunday, November 24, 2019 by: donnot
🤔 peace of mind 🤯 480 words ➥ Tuesday, November 24, 2020 by: donnot
🤓 staying clean 🤑 416 words ➥ Wednesday, November 24, 2021 by: donnot
🌻 living in 🌼 506 words ➥ Thursday, November 24, 2022 by: donnot
🎊 hospitality 🎊 430 words ➥ Friday, November 24, 2023 by: donnot
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge

Book 2

3) The Tao is hidden, and has no name; but it is the Tao which is
skilful at imparting (to all things what they need) and making them
complete.