Recovery Connections Network

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Life is Change

Growth is Possible

Choose Wisely

“Work on yourself first, take responsibility for your own progress.” -I Ching

“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes…and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

“A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make.” -Denis Waitley

“I am in charge of my mind, my thoughts and my life” is an incredibly powerful sentence. Completely unaware of this ability before my New Life, I lived in opposition, blame and felt utterly powerless. It felt as though everything was impossible and responsibility was something to fear.

One of the reasons I am so passionate about Women for Sobriety is these thirteen Statements change lives and lay a foundation for empowerment. In the past, I lived life through eyes of a victim and retreated into alcohol for relief. This not only didn’t solve a thing, I created further dependencies which, over time, tore away my identity. Self-value and worth became what others needed or took which crushed my being.

Statement #13 in action is empowering. Discovering the ability to manage my own mind, I began to unlearn unhealthy behaviors and institute fresh lines of thinking. These thoughts translated into action and I soon found myself living in a state of response-ability. I began to define and create my own experiences and success instead of trying to fit into a one-size-fits-all box. Connecting with women in face to face meetings and the WFS Online Forum, I began to learn about what responsibility is and isn’t, which eased my fears. A whole new world of choice seemed to open right in front of me. Opportunities never dreamt of came into view, leading to feelings of renewed spirit and empowerment. I am in charge of my mind, my thoughts and my life. You are too! Hugzzz, Karen

Hi 4C Women,

I use Statement 13 whenever I feel overwhelmed with decisions that need to be made. My mind gets a bit scattered and I tell myself that no matter what the outcome, I am in charge of myself! In the past I was afraid to make decisions because I didn’t trust my instincts, feared failure and was not prepared to cope with it. Never looked at failure as a life lesson, just plain old failure. One of the side effects of my failing is that I have become a seeker of information. I take my time in making decisions as I gather pertinent information. The second side effect is that I now trust my instincts. My many failures have filled my baggage full with invaluable lessons. I once read that we are free to choose but not free from the consequences of our choices. If I make a wrong choice, I put the consequences in my baggage of life-lessons. No tearing myself apart because there is no lesson learned in that behavior. As I practice Statement 13, I also begin removing the negative baggage that crushed my self-worth. This is why it’s imperative to learn, to grow emotionally and spiritually, to forgive ourselves so that we live as empowered women. We are in charge of our lives through the ups and downs, mistakes, right choices, failures and successes.

Consider these questions:

How do you react/respond to failure?
Can you name the life-lessons you have gained in failure or success?
Do you give yourself credit for your successes understanding that you do make healthy choices?
What is an unhealthy behavior that you have unlearned?
What have you replaced it with?
Describe the last time you trusted your instinct – the situation, the people, the outcome.
Can you create a positive mantra that empowers you?