Recovery Connections Network

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

“Simply enjoy life and the great treasures that come with it.” ~~Karolina Kurkova

“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast—you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” ~~Eddie Cantor

“Find ecstasy in life and the great pleasures that come with it.” ~~Emily Dickinson

Statement #6:

Life can be ordinary or it can be great.

Greatness is mine by a conscious effort.

One of the greatest fears before sobriety and New Life was not knowing how to live life without alcohol. For years, addiction directed my behaviors and influenced my decisions but learning empowering tools through the WFS New Life Program, those fears have been replaced with empowering skills making room for the enjoyment of life.

Statement #6 encourages consciousness, whether it be first thing in the morning or throughout the day, awareness is key to enjoying sobriety and recovery. Instead of wondering how to make it through an event without alcohol, I am free to enjoy what is. Even if the moment is less than desirable, I am able to understand value contained within.

Enjoying days whether they are ordinary or great, some days can still be very difficult, but when placed next to some of the devastating moments before this New Life, the differences are quite striking. By using the Statements on a daily basis, awareness is increased and greatness is unleashed.

How do you make life great?

Hugzzz

Karen

Hi 4C Women,

I love how Karen pointed out the major difference between how we view similar circumstances in our New Life to when we were drinking/using. This is crucial because life is full of bumps, sometimes huge boulders in our way. There is no clear path because we are sober. What we have are positive guides through the WFS program to choose how we respond, how we cope with adversity and ways to create awareness of the beauty and joy before us. Perhaps we didn't care in the past as we had shut down our feelings out of fear, disbelief that we even wanted a great life or deserved one! There is a lot of material available on mindfulness and I must say that in this world of technology, with our heads down, glued to our cell phones, we are probably missing out on some beautiful sights, some engaging conversations, an opportunity to change someone's day with a smile, a compliment or a hug of compassion and understanding. The human connection we yearn for requires attention and participation. For me, when I was drinking, my interaction mostly consisted of pretending everything was just fine. It's difficult to build a great life when pretending. Oh, how I love the authentic expression of my feelings in sobriety. Gone is the fear of rejection, being misunderstood or judged. I have learned that in order to receive what I need, I had to learn to step out of my comfort zone, to be true to myself. Another big lesson is knowing who to trust and share your feelings. For me, it is the women I have met in WFS. I know this because we are all eager to learn how to change from the inside. The biggest lesson is that in order to create a great life, which includes the ordinary, it is appreciating the moments when they are at our doorstep.

These are questions that have been part of my message in the past yet I do think they are powerful ones for Statement #6: