March 17th, 2014 We want to change our lives in recovery. That’s why we embarked on the journey to get clean and sober in the first place, right? We also want change to happen quickly, so that we can see visible results. We aren’t all that interested in waiting long periods of time to see change materialize. We’re rather impatient that way. All this is common, especially among the newly recovered. This doesn’t mean that it’s something we should continue, however. Perhaps the best place to start initiating change is by looking in the mirror – really getting inside our souls – so that we motivate ourselves to change from the inside out. What do we see when we first look in the mirror? If we’re like most people, including those who have never struggled with addiction, we literally see what’s in front of us. But delving deeper into the spirit behind our eyes, the soul within our bodies may help us develop a deeper appreciation for values and what we hold most dear. In other words, we each have some deeply-held beliefs that mean something important to us, whether or not we have strayed far from them, avoided them altogether, or somehow told ourselves that they’re no longer important or relevant to our lives. Getting back in touch with what really matters to us can help inform and motivate our desire to change our behaviors, thought patterns and beliefs to more closely align with our inner selves. We often strive to find change in some new course, acquaintance, location or activity when, in fact, the real change occurs inside us. It’s how we perceive what we view or participate in that matters most, not the object, person or activity itself. Translate this to mean that the change we seek isn’t out there for us to find, as in discovering something that is hidden away in a closet or that we happen upon along a road. It’s with us always, just waiting to be recognized. When we adopt the attitude that we can create the change we wish to have happen, many good things can come about as a result. For one thing, change is no longer externally-driven but internally motivated. We are what we think. We do because we feel inspired to take action, to put forth effort in order to achieve desired results. We evaluate risk versus reward, all the while couched in terms of our values and beliefs. There is an inherent sense of freedom in this type of creativity. We are not limited as to what we can accomplish. We can go after seemingly challenging or difficult goals without being discouraged that we don’t immediately achieve success. When we recognize and accept our inner compass, we never feel lost. We know that it may just take us a little longer or that we may need to adopt different strategies or approaches on our quest to realize our dreams. It’s all about creation: creating ourselves, creating new avenues for discovery, creating new opportunities for us to change yet again, to continue the process we began when we decided and committed to sobriety in the first place. How liberating and refreshing.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:06:00 +0000