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 Every Thursday on LifeLube --- check out all of Ed's "Work-In's" here.
Let's get busy.
Happy New Year!
Whew, the holidays are just about over. We have one weekend left before most of our lives get back to what we may consider to be normal. The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to reflect on our life. Maybe what you considered to be normal is not so normal after all. Our “norm” may feel stale, too hectic, or unfulfilling. You may have already met your goals in life and feel like you have hit a plateau. All you know is that “normal” just doesn’t feel right anymore.
That’s alright, you’re not losing it. Life is constantly changing around us. You can’t expect to stay the same for ever. So, let’s get busy. Put your ass in gear; it’s time to do some more work.
While you’re reflecting, make a list of what you have accomplished and what you want to accomplish in the future.
Whoa, whoa, don’t go frying any more brain cells trying to revisit your entire life. We know you aced the spelling bee in 2nd grade, yeah, good for you, but that’s going a little too far. Bring it back to the recent past. Whew, I thought I lost you for a minute there.
Let’s try to get the list done in 2009. There you go; your first goal for 2009. A good place to start is by just looking back on the past year to see what really went well for you and not so well. Next, what changes would you like to make in your life? Then, what is stopping or holding you back from making those changes? Now, take some time to write a “wish list” of all the positive things you would like to happen to you in 2009. Do not hold back, just write them down and think Big!
“We have no right to ask, when sorrow comes, Why did this happen to me? Unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way”. --Philip S. Bernstein
Now that you have completed the list here’s the tough part. It’s time to make some choices. Sometimes we hold on to old habits that hold us back. It’s time say goodbye to things that are not working and start the New Year fresh!
Here are some suggestions; you make the CHOICE that fits for you:
2008: Trying to please everyone
2009: Schedule some time for yourself
People pleasing all time takes away from your “ME” time and drains you of energy. As Melody Beattie, author of “Co-Dependents No More” and other great books (love her), would say “it’s boundary setting time”. Set healthier personal boundaries and set some time aside to do some of the things that give you pleasure.
2008: Setting too many goals
2009: Accepting where you are
Rather than feeling guilty about not accomplishing all that you planned, give yourself credit for the things that you have done and that are going right in your life.
2008: Always rushing
2009: Change the pace, slow it down
Instead of trying to squeeze one more thing into the time that you have, plan a few minutes of “free time” between scheduled appointments to give yourself time to wind down and reflect. “TURN OFF THE DAMN BLACKBERRY!” (guilty as charged, but this is not about me, it’s all about you)
2008: Fear of what’s next
2009: Take risks “Run into the Roar”
Facing and getting past fear allows you to move forward. “Jump into the Fire”. Going out of your comfort zone will help build your confidence and allow you to take on the next challenge to help you grow.
2008: Draining relationships
2009: Supportive environment
It’s time to separate yourself from negative personal and professional relationships that drain your energy. Surround yourself with people who are supportive of your wants and needs; people that want nothing more than for you to succeed.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.
You are only bound by your Imagination”
Thought from Hazelden:
Time is a circle. The end is the beginning.
Day by day, a year comes and goes. Today's end is the beginning of the rest of our lives. We take with us what we have learned today. We are the same and not the same.
As long as we are alive, we will continue to wrestle with questions, seek answers, and solve problems. Let's be gentle with ourselves and others, choosing to respond with non-judging love and acceptance instead of unrealistic demands of perfection.
We have found a blueprint for recovery. Our preoccupation with not enough and too much has led us to a spiritual solution. Each day brings us new opportunities to express our development - a more patient response to a traffic jam, the ability to empathize with a child's embarrassment, the acceptance of a disappointment. Today is another day to learn how to be serene, to nurture body and spirit so that we may function as an integrated totality. We will continue to learn and grow toward recovery.
I will begin and end today and everyday by listening to my inner voice.
From: Inner Harvest by Elisabeth L. Copyright 1990 by Hazelden Foundation.
(Usual disclaimer applies: The suggestions on this blog are just that “SUGGESTIONS.” My words cannot heal your pain and or addictions. Nor can I change your life. Only you can.)
“Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness." -- Shakti Gawain
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