Blog entry for:

although i know that the entry in the just for today is about connections in the fellowship, particularly one-on-one with other addicts, my practicing of spiritual principles (responsibility) prevented me from using the FEAR acronym title i really wanted to. being a controlling type i decided to go for a bit of shock value and use it today and see if i could weave both themes into a single blog!
well here goes!
there is a theory in biology that animals have only two responses to threats (read fear) either FIGHTING or FLEEING. the wonderful nature of the human intellect allows us to find fear in everything; change, other people‘s reactions, the weather, the unknown or discovering a fact or two about ourselves. i know my reaction is generally running away, hence the use of the FEAR acronym in my title today. but what is an addict like me to do when i feel overwhelmed by fear of the unknown condition of the future? well one thing i can do is call one of my peers in recovery! what a thought, the best solution to fears is to reach out and receive comfort, suggestions and solutions from one of those who have chosen to walk the path of recovery with me. and the flip side of that assertion is that perhaps i have something to offer when called upon to share my experience, strength and hope by one of my peers. giving and receiving from others in the fellowship a two way street, not a concept of relationships that i walked into recovery already possessing! after all, relationships for me were all about what i could get and how little i needed to return to keep on getting, none of this equality or mutual respect crap.
today i understand about negotiation and compromise, giving and getting, mutual respect and being present as it applies to the various relationships in my life. i got to learn how to do that and practice it in the safety and comfort of the company of my fellow recovering addicts, so i could learn to apply those principles to my life in general. i got much more than i gave in this respect, and my debt to the fellowship that saved my life will never be repaid. what i can do is be present when my phone rings to provide anything i can -- emotionally and spiritually to the addict on the other end of that line and show up to do the same thing in person.
really quite simple, i can actually Face Everything And Recover with the help of my fellow addicts and a simple phone call and perhaps i will move forward into my day with that thought in mind!
∞ DT ∞