Hi 4C Women,
I have been fighting negativity this past year and what I've realized is that I can handle it. I can take a breath, feel the anxiety, the fear and seek support and make a healthier decision in spite of my fears. Here's the best part-I am no longer permanently crushed, destroyed by a negative thought, situation or person. In the past, I would have stayed in negativity, inviting it to my blame party that lasted for weeks, sometimes months, oh heck, honestly for years! When I think back on the me I use to be, I know for sure that is not the trip back I want to take nor do I expect to. I have learned a lot through recovery and WFS to NOT invite negativity a permanent residence. Having Statement 2 in my heart, saying it over and over, has been a gift. Life situations happen and feeling negative, lost or fearful is a human response. It is the coping tools we use that helps us to reduce negative feelings from causing harm to our sobriety. The biggest life lesson I have learned is to differentiate between what I call useless worry which leads to overwhelming negative thoughts and serious situations that require our need to problem solve before negativity is the only thing we have on our plate. It is all about reducing negativity, handling life's challenges in a healthy, positive, productive way before we experience its destruction.
Think about the last negative situation you dealt with.
- How did you cope?
- What was the outcome?
- What did you learn about yourself, your decision making skills, your confidence in handling a major or even minor challenge?
The chart below describes the impact of stress on our body, mind, emotions and behavior. In WFS, we learn to identify our feelings so we can begin to understand and make positive change. I believe the chart below will be another avenue to explore those feelings as we identify our stressors. Hopefully that knowledge of these negative effects will be a helpful guide for change in your New Life.
Bonded,
4C WFS Member
(Thank you to Pinterest for chart)