We're going to be short and sweet today, like that delicious-looking muffin in the thumbnail. I would like to start off here with this: Effort directly affects value. Then, take a moment of gratitude for what recovery has done for me over the last three years. I was so sick from my alcoholism that I could barely get out of bed, my heart was failing, I couldn't walk, and my relationships with absolutely everyone were in complete shambles. But I've transformed my life, with help from my Higher Power and some very amazing people. A life in recovery has enabled me to comb beaches for pretty stones again, have a rewarding career, cherish rebuilt and new relationships, and I was even able to come off the 11+ medications I used to have to be on. My life is so amazing now.
“It's not going to be easy, it's going to be worth it.” -Zig Ziglar
Now, that doesn't mean that life doesn't have its struggles or points of suffering now. I am very blessed and grateful for the life I get to live today. But I still have to do taxes, damn it Uncle Sam... make my car payment, parent a teenager, and deal with old parts of my pre-recovery life trying to bring me down. Like, collections from being financially irresponsible, health issues and emotional damage I have to heal, and old habits needing to be broken. Some ways I use to help me through these stressors are: maintaining healthy boundaries (EVERYWHERE), taking an inward and outward inventory to stay self-aware, and keeping conflicts that arise current. "Conflict deferred is conflict multiplied" is a quote from Dr. Jordan B. Peterson that has been helping me and my irrational anxiety exponentially.
Remember, life doesn't get better, you do. And that's a beautiful thing. We do recover.
Until next time.
