Recovery Connections Network : Monday Thoughts 05/13/2019

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Monday Thoughts 05/13/2019

“I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” ~~Pablo Casals

“My mission in life is to be kind, compassionate, caring and loving in order to find and feel the deepest joy in life.” ~~Debasish Mridha

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” ~~Margaret Mead

Statement #7

Love can change the course of my world.

Caring is all-important.

Before sobriety and New Life, caring was reserved for other people. Outwards, it had the appearance of caring, yet it was disguised as self-centeredness. This outlook chips away at self-worth and self-esteem. It also cements the cycle of negative feelings and a desire to escape which creates a loop of self-destruction.

Action into Statement #7 can feel frightening at first but with continued practice, it opens a whole new way to experience life; it changes our world. Instead of escaping feelings, it is a time to embrace feelings. No matter how deep-down feelings of caring are, they are there. Start small and branch out. Caring generates more caring while discarding in-authenticity.

Here are a few ways which can increase caring:

Write down your interests and list the people you feel an attachment to. Release things that you maybe were conditioned to care about or are told you should care about.
What do you have emotional responses to? What engages you? Identify what pulls at your heart. What actions can you take to cement and extend your caring?
Make time for experiences instead of room for things. Spending an hour on the phone with a friend can arouse feelings of care for both instead of spending cash or energy on empty items.
Identify and implement a healthy self-care routine. This can include encouraging self-talk, exercise, meditation, journaling.
Connect with others who care. The WFS Community is filled with caring women, whether online or in f2f groups.

What else can you uncover to commit action towards Statement #7?

Hugzzz

Karen

Hi 4C Women,

Powerful message from Karen on Statement #7. I especially appreciate her sharing the ways to increase caring from pretending to authentically feeling and expressing it. Drinking certainly can provide a stage for pretending you are feeling something you are not; yearning for acceptance when feeling unworthy, fueling that need for acceptance even further by pretending you aren't in pain, feel lonely or unlovable. A dear friend recently sent me an article on happiness, joy and friendship. I loved this one quote by David Brooks, an opinion columnist: "Transparency is the fuel of friendship. We live in an age of social media. It’s very easy to create false personas and live life as a performance. Joy is the present that life gives you as you give away your gifts." What greater gift than learning to be authentic, find joy and share your gifts of caring with those who mean so much to you. This is the gift of sobriety/recovery as we practice Statement #7.

As I read the questions again, the one that stood out for me is what engages you, pulls at your heart? For me, it is being a moderator. To have the gift of watching women working hard at their recovery, to see the positive changes taking place week to week and their willingness to share their journey. It is nothing less than awe inspiring and truly pulls at my heart with overflowing joy. It is the gift that keeps on giving and is priceless!

Bonded together in knowing that caring is all important, a 4C woman

WFS Annual Weekend Conference 2019

Don't miss this workshop at this year's conference!

Belly Dancing: Exercise for Every Body

Human beings have used dance to express happiness and joy for thousands of years! The magical combination of music and motion feeds our creative souls and helps us love, accept, and appreciate our amazing bodies. Dancing is a fun, inexpensive way to give ourselves the gifts of exercise and self-care, which can be powerful and effective tools in our recovery toolboxes.

In this workshop, we will discuss how exercise can increase happiness in our New Lives through its psychological and physical benefits. We'll put these ideas into practice by learning some basic, gentle belly dancing steps and experience the joy and happiness that dancing together creates. No previous dancing experience is required and all bodies and all physical abilities are welcome. If you like, feel free to bring a colorful scarf to tie around your waist, a belly dancing hip scarf, a flowing skirt or pants, or fun, jingly jewelry to help you shake your shimmy!

Rebecca W./allRebecca, (Peer Presenter)

Rebecca has been a WFS participant since 2014 and became a Certified Moderator in 2017. Regularly attending face-to-face WFS meetings and using the 13 statements of the New Life Program have been central to her long-term recovery. Last fall, she returned to school to become a licensed alcohol and drug counselor in Minnesota. Rebecca has enjoyed many kinds of dancing as a hobby since middle school. She studied and taught Middle-Eastern dance at the Cassandra School and performed in Cassandra Shore's Jawaahir Dance Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota.