Recovery Connections Network

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” -Amelia Earhart

“She conquered her demons and wore her scars like wings.” -Atticus

“And one day she discovered the she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” -Mark Anthony

My pocket sized, WFS Program Booklet has seen better days. Even though it is tucked neatly in a blue-faded paisley cover, the pages continue to wear away. Fingerprints, smudges and creases are strewn from the first to the last page. The staples that once held this treasure together have given way and each page is cluttered with penned in notes. Looking over the pages, eerie and discolored splotches line many of the pages, previously left over from my highlighting days.

WFS provides the Statements, but the action comes from within. Statement #1 begins the process by acknowledging the problem, and it is life-threatening: relationships, beliefs, health, spirit, self-worth, values, consciousness, they were all threatened by my drinking. Life felt scary, overwhelming, and emotionally devastating. It was a painful way to exist.

Statement #1 frees me to live and not merely exist. I get to experience every day with new vision and new meaning. This freedom provides a continuing drive to learn, explore and discover. Though the pages of my WFS Program Booklet remain tattered, I am living a New Life with contentment, possibility and passion. Hugzzz, Karen

Hi 4C Women,

Taking charge of my life was something I never believed possible. I became a prisoner and keeper of the key that could set me free if I chose to acknowledge my problem. Acknowledgement took a while because I didn’t want to accept responsibility for my actions. That would mean I had to actually change my behavior, my attitude and my instant gratification in coping with life’s challenges. That’s a lot of work! What I gained from all that work is freedom - pure and simple. No wasting time, no blaming everyone for my unhappy life, no wasted money and especially no more missing out on those precious and treasured moments that I learned to become aware of with purpose. Statement #1 taught me a big lesson. While I connected to the WFS program, I realized what Karen said, the action comes from within. Otherwise, the Statements are just words on a piece of paper that sound great but without action, without making the choice to accept and acknowledge my problem, nothing changes!

Sobriety does not promise a perfect life. What it does provide is a new way of living. Learning healthier coping tools, learning to heal from the past and practice self-forgiveness, building self-love, self-worth and so much more. To think all of this became mine by acknowledging and accepting responsibility for my choices.

I have this list of how to overcome emotional roadblocks by Bob Livingstone outlining why we are reluctant to face our emotional pain. One point really shouted out to me – “Learning that the energy invested in pushing the pain away is not worth the price of becoming physically ill, drug dependent, or devoid of feelings. This energy can be instead used for recovery, spiritual awakening, self-direction, and confidence building.” This, to me, is what can be the reward of practicing Statement #1!

What do you think will be among the positive changes that could take place if you said yes to Statement #1?
What is the fear in acknowledging and accepting that you have a problem?
If you have accepted Statement #1, what changes have been the most powerful in your life?
Do you seek input from others or is the fear of feeling inadequate getting in the way?

-WFS Member

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