Blog entry for:
Sat, Oct 28, 2006 08:54:24 AM
∞ i have no control over the challenges life gives me. what i can control is how i react to those challenges. ∞
posted: Sat, Oct 28, 2006 08:54:24 AM
at any point in time, i can change my attitude. but the truth of the matter some days i just plain like being a foul cynical pain in the ass kind of person. my attitude reminds me of the days in active addiction, in fact it reminds of most of the days in active addiction. and one of the little saying i have heard parroted over and over again so many times since i got clean is, "my worst day in recovery is better than my best day when i was using. "
what a load of shit! i had some damn good times when i was using, and i am not just using euphoric recall here. truthfully, most of the time i was miserable, and i shared my misery and pain with anyone who happened to come into my vicinity. i had a chronic bad attitude, and even back in those days was willing to admit that was the case. today, while pondering the reading i consider the changes that recovery has wrought in my life and in my day-to-day outlook. truthfully, most days i have a pretty decent attitude and my outlook may even me described as ‘ rosy ’. there are hours and even days when i find myself in the ‘ fuck everyone and everything ’ kind of attitude. yes even someone like me. who has accumulated a bit of clean time can find himself living with a dark, bitter and downright shitty attitude. so what does this have to do with anything in general and specifically the reading for this morning. well for one, the reading reminds me that my attitude is among one of the choices i can make in my daily life. i have the means to examine what is blocking me from the sunlight of the spirit and truthfully what i discover in my little spot inventories is that i am unsatisfied with how things are turning out. in plain english my expectations are not being met in one or more ways. it is not that the people and events in my life are bad, just that they are not living up to what i expect them to live up to. at this point i generally laugh out loud at how absurd it is for me to expect the world to turn the way i want it to, and move into a less bitter and negative attitude. there are some days when more than unmet expectations is going on inside of me, and on those days, the spot inventory helps me to seek out the help i need to deal with the events and situations that are more than unmet expectations. and either way the spot inventory allows me to adjust my attitude or take corrective action to prevent that attitude from once again being a nearly daily affair again.
and my little tirade at the start of this, well suffice it to say that writing this has allowed me the freedom to say, it is what it is!
what a load of shit! i had some damn good times when i was using, and i am not just using euphoric recall here. truthfully, most of the time i was miserable, and i shared my misery and pain with anyone who happened to come into my vicinity. i had a chronic bad attitude, and even back in those days was willing to admit that was the case. today, while pondering the reading i consider the changes that recovery has wrought in my life and in my day-to-day outlook. truthfully, most days i have a pretty decent attitude and my outlook may even me described as ‘ rosy ’. there are hours and even days when i find myself in the ‘ fuck everyone and everything ’ kind of attitude. yes even someone like me. who has accumulated a bit of clean time can find himself living with a dark, bitter and downright shitty attitude. so what does this have to do with anything in general and specifically the reading for this morning. well for one, the reading reminds me that my attitude is among one of the choices i can make in my daily life. i have the means to examine what is blocking me from the sunlight of the spirit and truthfully what i discover in my little spot inventories is that i am unsatisfied with how things are turning out. in plain english my expectations are not being met in one or more ways. it is not that the people and events in my life are bad, just that they are not living up to what i expect them to live up to. at this point i generally laugh out loud at how absurd it is for me to expect the world to turn the way i want it to, and move into a less bitter and negative attitude. there are some days when more than unmet expectations is going on inside of me, and on those days, the spot inventory helps me to seek out the help i need to deal with the events and situations that are more than unmet expectations. and either way the spot inventory allows me to adjust my attitude or take corrective action to prevent that attitude from once again being a nearly daily affair again.
and my little tirade at the start of this, well suffice it to say that writing this has allowed me the freedom to say, it is what it is!
∞ 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!
attitude check 252 words ➥ Thursday, October 28, 2004 by: donnot∞ feeling shitty? just hit the reset button ∞ 291 words ➥ Friday, October 28, 2005 by: donnot
∞ at any point in time, i can change my attitude. ∞ 114 words ➥ Tuesday, October 28, 2008 by: donnot
∴ a negative outlook can hurt my relationship with a Higher Power and the people in my life ∴ 260 words ➥ Wednesday, October 28, 2009 by: donnot
∧ when i find ourselves in a bleak frame of mind, i need to take action ∧ 796 words ➥ Thursday, October 28, 2010 by: donnot
° at any time, i CAN examine how i am reacting ° 477 words ➥ Friday, October 28, 2011 by: donnot
⊥ i have no control over the challenges life gives me ⊥ 309 words ➥ Sunday, October 28, 2012 by: donnot
∩ when i am honest with myself, i frequently find ∩ 650 words ➥ Monday, October 28, 2013 by: donnot
∝ i sometimes have a day when ∝ 590 words ➥ Tuesday, October 28, 2014 by: donnot
† attitudes † 729 words ➥ Wednesday, October 28, 2015 by: donnot
↬ the problem ↫ 696 words ➥ Friday, October 28, 2016 by: donnot
🐍 when everything 🐉 380 words ➥ Saturday, October 28, 2017 by: donnot
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🌋 taking action 🌋 468 words ➥ Wednesday, October 28, 2020 by: donnot
👋 discovering that 👌 526 words ➥ Thursday, October 28, 2021 by: donnot
👊 controlling how 👊 550 words ➥ Friday, October 28, 2022 by: donnot
🥾 freedom, 🥾 521 words ➥ Saturday, October 28, 2023 by: donnot
🗽 free to feel 🕊 558 words ➥ Monday, October 28, 2024 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 2
1) The Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three
produced All things. All things leave behind them the Obscurity (out
of which they have come), and go forward to embrace the Brightness
(into which they have emerged), while they are harmonised by the Breath
of Vacancy.