Blog entry for:
Fri, Sep 2, 2016 09:09:44 AM
¿ who have i become ?
posted: Fri, Sep 2, 2016 09:09:44 AM
an interesting question. a year ago, at this point in my recovery i would have said that i was not really sure, spiritual identity crises seem to do that to me. now that all of that spiritual dust has settled and i am good about where i find myself, i can actually look to what i have become, across the course of my recovery, this step cycle and even in the past 366 just for todays. before i get rolling down that path a quick shout-out:
starting at the very beginning, i was just another using addict. using deprived me of empathy or consideration for anyone else. i was a shell of a person, who lived entirely for myself and fVck you if you got between me and my desires. walking into the rooms on my plan to make this a temporary stop over in my using career, very little changed for quite some time, i was just learned how to hide it better, after all, when my “using vacation” came to an end, i would still need to be that hard shell of a person. the steps i worked in that first year were just enough to keep me abstinent and make life as a clean addict less heinous. it truly sucked to be me, in those days and i did the bare minimum to improve my lot in life, at least as far as in my recovery life.😣
after a few days, a commute to a single fellowship and a redefining of what i was, things changed and when i arrived at the start of this step cycle, i was firmly ensconced in this fellowship, aware of who i was and far more responsive to the needs, wants and desires of those with whom i share my life. there were still places that i kept in the dark and no one, save my current sponsor knew everything, and i was quite certain that was where i was going to remain. the spiritual structure i had erected was chafing and binding and all the hoops i had to jump through to relate on that level with my peers, was tiring and felt futile. i felt quite certain that i had gone as far as i could go and would have to accept i was too broken to move past my social retardation and find my place in the world and the fellowship in general. service junkie would be my role and i was resigned to that as a fact of my life. 😕
a year ago, as i was ending my last annual cycle, i finally had the remnants of my spiritual belief structure hauled off and the belief system i had put in its place, was finally getting plugged into that of my peers. the kludgey hoops i jumped through were no more, as i came to see myself as more of a peer instead of anything else. socially? well socially i am far more connected than ever before and when i look at what is happening all around me, i see that my peers trust me and <GASP> respect me for who i am. i have learned toi feel my way to decisions and redirect my reactions. in general, i am certainly spiritually more healthy and have found a place to be, a home as it were, that nourishes and protects me from the storms of life. i am okay, not being a GOD kind of person or having every newcomer come up and ask me to sponsor them. i am okay knowing that there are those who love me, those who like me, those who tolerate me and those who would rather i not bother coming around. today i am comfortable in my skin, as i have finally grown into the new one that i created across the course of this step cycle. today i am okay, and in my mind, you guys are as well. 😎
so i will wrap this up and head on out to do nothing at all, all day long, it is after all a great day to be clean and have the day off.
Scott K,
THREE (3) years clean.
Truly a miracle.
Thank you for trusting me to be your sponsor.
starting at the very beginning, i was just another using addict. using deprived me of empathy or consideration for anyone else. i was a shell of a person, who lived entirely for myself and fVck you if you got between me and my desires. walking into the rooms on my plan to make this a temporary stop over in my using career, very little changed for quite some time, i was just learned how to hide it better, after all, when my “using vacation” came to an end, i would still need to be that hard shell of a person. the steps i worked in that first year were just enough to keep me abstinent and make life as a clean addict less heinous. it truly sucked to be me, in those days and i did the bare minimum to improve my lot in life, at least as far as in my recovery life.😣
after a few days, a commute to a single fellowship and a redefining of what i was, things changed and when i arrived at the start of this step cycle, i was firmly ensconced in this fellowship, aware of who i was and far more responsive to the needs, wants and desires of those with whom i share my life. there were still places that i kept in the dark and no one, save my current sponsor knew everything, and i was quite certain that was where i was going to remain. the spiritual structure i had erected was chafing and binding and all the hoops i had to jump through to relate on that level with my peers, was tiring and felt futile. i felt quite certain that i had gone as far as i could go and would have to accept i was too broken to move past my social retardation and find my place in the world and the fellowship in general. service junkie would be my role and i was resigned to that as a fact of my life. 😕
a year ago, as i was ending my last annual cycle, i finally had the remnants of my spiritual belief structure hauled off and the belief system i had put in its place, was finally getting plugged into that of my peers. the kludgey hoops i jumped through were no more, as i came to see myself as more of a peer instead of anything else. socially? well socially i am far more connected than ever before and when i look at what is happening all around me, i see that my peers trust me and <GASP> respect me for who i am. i have learned toi feel my way to decisions and redirect my reactions. in general, i am certainly spiritually more healthy and have found a place to be, a home as it were, that nourishes and protects me from the storms of life. i am okay, not being a GOD kind of person or having every newcomer come up and ask me to sponsor them. i am okay knowing that there are those who love me, those who like me, those who tolerate me and those who would rather i not bother coming around. today i am comfortable in my skin, as i have finally grown into the new one that i created across the course of this step cycle. today i am okay, and in my mind, you guys are as well. 😎
so i will wrap this up and head on out to do nothing at all, all day long, it is after all a great day to be clean and have the day off.
∞ 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!
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 2
3) Therefore when the sovereign occupies his place as the Son of Heaven,
and he has appointed his three ducal ministers, though (a prince)
were to send in a round symbol-of-rank large enough to fill both the
hands, and that as the precursor of the team of horses (in the court-yard),
such an offering would not be equal to (a lesson of) this Tao, which
one might present on his knees.