Blog entry for:
Wed, Feb 15, 2006 05:36:19 AM
∞ waking from a spiritual coma ∞
posted: Wed, Feb 15, 2006 05:36:19 AM
well when i came to recovery the last thing i expected was to be told that my spirit was in some sort of coma! and more than that that i needed to have a spiritual awakening to recover. i did not want to recover! all i wanted was a way to learn how to use like ‘normal’ people. although the road has been far from smooth, i am glad that i finally accepted the fact, that i am incapable of ever using like ‘normal’ people. although the whole morning wake-up routine metaphor is a bit corny, i do understand the point of it.
for me, the whole process has evolved over time. ever since i was eighteen months clean and finally accepted the first step, the process of working the steps has provided different levels of spiritual consciousness. each time through the process a new part of my spirit is revealed and brought to life. i no longer have the desire to use substances to change the way i feel, BUT i still find other ways to deal with my feelings and some of them are more than a bit unhealthy. i can be a real prick when i feel the passion of my anger. i can go exercise a bit of retail therapy when i feel sad. and i can withdraw and isolate when i am confused. my latest spiritual awakening is that none of these behaviors are necessary for me to survive anymore and are remnants of my life in active addiction. they will be replaced by healthy responses if i allow the awakening process to continue. after all, if i had to think about becoming the man i am right now, way back at the dawn of my recovery, i would have never proceeded with the foot work that was needed to get here. is my spirit awake today? well, more awake than it was at the beginning of this process and less so than tomorrow, that is if i choose to remember that clean time does not equal recovery and keep doing the work that i has been laid in front of me!
for me, the whole process has evolved over time. ever since i was eighteen months clean and finally accepted the first step, the process of working the steps has provided different levels of spiritual consciousness. each time through the process a new part of my spirit is revealed and brought to life. i no longer have the desire to use substances to change the way i feel, BUT i still find other ways to deal with my feelings and some of them are more than a bit unhealthy. i can be a real prick when i feel the passion of my anger. i can go exercise a bit of retail therapy when i feel sad. and i can withdraw and isolate when i am confused. my latest spiritual awakening is that none of these behaviors are necessary for me to survive anymore and are remnants of my life in active addiction. they will be replaced by healthy responses if i allow the awakening process to continue. after all, if i had to think about becoming the man i am right now, way back at the dawn of my recovery, i would have never proceeded with the foot work that was needed to get here. is my spirit awake today? well, more awake than it was at the beginning of this process and less so than tomorrow, that is if i choose to remember that clean time does not equal recovery and keep doing the work that i has been laid in front of me!
∞ 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!
↔ awakening of my spirit ↔ 199 words ➥ Tuesday, February 15, 2005 by: donnot∞ i did not come to my first meeting aching to take a personal inventory ∞ 589 words ➥ Thursday, February 15, 2007 by: donnot
α i do not have to spend the rest of my life in a spiritual coma. … 474 words ➥ Friday, February 15, 2008 by: donnot
μ i did not come to my first meeting believing … 749 words ➥ Sunday, February 15, 2009 by: donnot
∀ when i was forced to start a journey into my recovery, ∀ 754 words ➥ Monday, February 15, 2010 by: donnot
¾ the last thing i expected was an awakening of the spirit ¾ 744 words ➥ Tuesday, February 15, 2011 by: donnot
“ to awaken my sleepy spirit, i will use the Twelve Steps ” 672 words ➥ Wednesday, February 15, 2012 by: donnot
◊ i had no inkling that i was about to embark on a journey ◊ 404 words ➥ Friday, February 15, 2013 by: donnot
¦ i may not like to get up in the morning but, ¦ 485 words ➥ Saturday, February 15, 2014 by: donnot
ℜ i hardly walking into the rooms believing ℜ 784 words ➥ Sunday, February 15, 2015 by: donnot
⨭ an awakening ⨮ 664 words ➥ Monday, February 15, 2016 by: donnot
😴 living in 😵 705 words ➥ Wednesday, February 15, 2017 by: donnot
🚪 a spiritual void 🚪 665 words ➥ Thursday, February 15, 2018 by: donnot
🛣 i had no inkling 🛎 515 words ➥ Friday, February 15, 2019 by: donnot
🕴 the last thing 🕴 502 words ➥ Saturday, February 15, 2020 by: donnot
💤 aching to 🥴 357 words ➥ Monday, February 15, 2021 by: donnot
🛏 my sleeping spirit 🚿 504 words ➥ Tuesday, February 15, 2022 by: donnot
🥴 an awakening 🥳 606 words ➥ Wednesday, February 15, 2023 by: donnot
🌄 compassion 🌄 650 words ➥ Thursday, February 15, 2024 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 1
1) (Those who) possessed in highest degree the attributes (of the
Tao) did not (seek) to show them, and therefore they possessed them
(in fullest measure). (Those who) possessed in a lower degree those
attributes (sought how) not to lose them, and therefore they did not
possess them (in fullest measure).