Recovery Connections Network

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

“To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow—this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.” ~~Elizabeth Gilbert

“My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.” ~~Maya Angelou

“To be deeply loved, means a willingness to cut yourself wide open, exposing your vulnerabilities…hopes, hurts, fears and flaws. Hiding behind the highlight reel of who you are, is the real you and that person is just as worthy of love. There is nothing more terrifying or fulfilling, that complete love, it’s worth the risk…reach for it.” ~~Jaeda DeWalt

Statement #10

“All love given returns."

I am learning to know that I am loved."

Sobriety and Statement #10 in action are essential to accepting and feeling love in my New Life. In the past, I accepted the love I felt I deserved, which was often unhealthy and abusive. I was drawn to drama, uncertainty and often lived on the edge. Over time, this created a cycle of emotional pain which I attempted to soothe with alcohol. This ever-temporary solution evolved into deep feelings of desperation, shame and loneliness.

The WFS Statements encourage a shift in thinking, and the action part of Statement #10 “I am learning to know that I am loved” is empowering and life- changing when applied daily. Recalling my first glimpses of sobriety, I felt welcomed into WFS even though I felt I didn’t deserve this level of acceptance. There were no hoops to jump through, no lectures or admonishments, just open arms and understanding. This rekindled hope, and a new cycle of healing had begun.

The “Love” Statements can be difficult to practice, yet the results can move mountains. In our WFS Program Booklet under Statement #10, a beautiful quote from Nancy Cross states “All recovery roads lead to the ability to love and be loved!” Nancy, who was a long-time member of WFS, felt love in her New Life and from this life-changing love, created our WFS Online Forum. Nancy devoted her time, talents, and secured funding to make sure this aspect of WFS remained available to all women. Love does make the world go around and around and around…..

Hugzzz

Karen

Hi 4C Women

One of my favorite updates to the Statements is this one - I am learning to know that I am loved. I especially appreciate the various forms of how love is given and received as written in the updated Program Booklet. For so long I felt unlovable, disconnected because I was not in what I thought was the real definition of love - a couple. Just to see in writing the many ways love can be expressed means the world to me. I do experience love from friends, family and any adorable animal I encounter. Because of my allergy to animal dander, I am sadly required to be pet deprived without wanting to be. Whenever I get a chance to give and receive love from another person's pet, I do it. Hand washing is a must afterwards but so worth the love given and received.

I believe my biggest obstacle in receiving love was that I didn't love myself. I often silently say these words after "I am learning to know that I am loved" ... "and it begins with loving myself." I was my own worst critic and it took a long time to see myself in a loving light. That change created a pathway to accept and believe that others loved me. I learned that while I did not love my actions or behavior when I drank, those were the end result of my choice of coping skills and not my identity. Learning healthy coping skills created the beginning of self-love, self-acceptance and self-worth.

Here is an excerpt from 40 lessons learned along the way for finding strength in hard times:

You must love yourself too. One of the most painful things in life is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much and forgetting that you are special too. When was the last time someone told you that they loved you just the way you are, and that what you think and how you feel matters? When was the last time someone told you that you did a good job, or took you someplace, simply because they know you feel happy when you're there? When was the last time that 'someone' was YOU? Something to think about.

Bonded,

4C WFS Member

Don't miss this workshop at the

2018 WFS Annual Weekend Conference!

June 8-10 in Center Valley, PA

Creating Movement Forward

From the moment we took our first breath of life as an infant, up to this very day, we each have been influenced by our individual experiences. The joys and heartache that we have experienced shape us. The challenges we endure create depth. Our individual experiences create growth that, understood, will uniquely move each of us forward.

Yet many don’t welcome the power of movement within their own life stories.

Most of us have an innate ability to identify all of the difficulty we’ve experienced within our lifetime, but we are challenged to pinpoint how difficulty offers the opportunity to move us forward. Perhaps this is why we get ‘stuck,’ why we have trouble letting go of the past and can’t recognize our continued growth.

The truth is, movement forward is the consequence of personal effort.

Consider this workshop your active beginning to create movement forward!

What to expect:

We will discuss how welcoming the past, present, and future experiences into our lives with a renewed perspective can impact their outcome.
Why our willingness to relentlessly participate with our life experiences offers greater insight into their multitude of layers.
Personally revisit some of our individual experiences that have created positive movement forward.

Participants will share:

Stories and insights with a little fun role-playing
Intention setting
Good heart-felt laughter
Personal journaling exercises
Opportunities to renew your mind and create movement forward!

Dannielle A/D (Peer Presenter) -

Dannielle (‘D’) is an enthusiast for life with a passion to inspire, offer hope, ignite bravery and become a catalyst for women to live with greater intention. Founder of “beyouandthrive.com” and “The Practice of Living as We Intend” podcast, ‘D’ shares insight, personal stories and experiences that offer empowering practices to refine how we ‘think, do and become.’ Dannielle has a unique background; spanning the boardroom where she was the Creative Director for a global aviation company, to an entrepreneurial role at her farm, where she enjoyed practicing agriculture. Now residing in Chicago, her passions include travel with her husband, nature, her dog Miss Sofia and all things creative.