Brought to you by Ed Negron, a former drug user, turned gangbanger, turned drug dealer, turned own best customer, turned addict, turned recovering addict(still there), turned activist, turned business manager, turned student, turned Substance Abuse Counselor, turned better and happier person, turned some who can love and be loved (love you Patrick), turned blogger. Check out all of Ed's "Work-In's" here.
So did you let some stuff go during the week? If you did, great; if you didn’t, I understand. It’s easier said than done. It takes some practice. So let’s do one together. Yep, that’s right, me and you and everyone else reading this.
Now think of something that you have been carrying around for a while. It doesn’t have to be earth moving. Ok, I’ll model it. I gave someone a gift last weekend and I didn’t get the response I was looking for.
I am angry because that ungrateful S.O.B. didn’t even say thank you, JAG-OFF.
I’m still holding some anger and resentments toward this person.
Now it’s your turn. I’ll wait for you to think it through (playing on-hold music.) Alright, take a deep breath because I can feel you percolating. You’re doing good.
Let’s do the visualization technique:
Imagine that the feeling is tingling, wiggling, and twisting in your hands. Feel the energy of that feeling or feelings in your hands, give it a color, shape, or sound. Now see yourself releasing it. Drop it, throw it or blow it away. Just let it go. Watch it fade away into the distance.
Ah, I feel much better now, don’t you?
During the “Holiday Season” we pick up a lot of stuff. During this time of the year many people slip into depression. Some slip from their recovery. This is because our inner selves are usually at full capacity going into the season. We all know what happens next. We go on overload mode and start overflowing with emotions.
Please, if you are going in any of those directions - go to a 12 step meeting (see links below), call your doctor, a friend, a priest, shit, call an enemy. Reach out!!!!
Do your "Work-In"; go back and reread my first two posts.
Go back to step 5 from last week, ask yourself, “Can I let go of this feeling?" Realize that you are not your feelings and they are not holding on to you. It is the other way round; you are clinging to them.
The choice is yours.
I will end with the email I got today from the Hazelden listserve.
“There are no riches above a sound body, and no joy above the joy of the heart."
--Anonymous
Holidays are a wonderful and exciting time of year - a time to enjoy snowflakes falling, company coming, and presents. Sometimes we find ourselves concentrating solely on the wrapped presents and forgetting about the presents of the heart. With God's help, we can begin to notice such things as the hug from a brother or sister, the laugh of a grandparent or the hand-drawn card given to us by a friend. All of these wonderful presents and more are ours for the taking; we need only to see beyond the wrapped packages. It is then we will fully experience the joys of the heart.
How many gifts do I see around me right now?
From Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.”
Happy Holidays!
Useful Links:
Alcoholics Anonymous Official Web site
Co-dependents Anonymous
Cocaine Anonymous main website
Crystal Meth Anonymous main website
Crystal meth info on the LifeLube mothership
Sex and Drugs info on the LifeLube mothership
Find AA meetings in Chicago and the burbs
Find CA meetings in Chicago
Find CMA meetings in Chicago
Narcotics Anonymous main website
Find NA meetings in Chicago
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
Find other SCA fellowship in Chicago
GayAlcoholics.com
New Town Alano Club
Sex Addicts Anonymous find meetings
Steps Study
12 Step History and Practice
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