Some of you know I’m living in recovery from alcoholism. If not, you do now. I read a question today that caused me to reflect on my life now that I have a bit of time in recovery. The question was, “What are the important things in my recovery?” Here’s a short list from journaling this morning.
- living life using the principles of the 12 Steps
- daily practice of prayer and meditation
- healing physically, emotionally and spiritually
- healing of broken relationships and birthing of new relationships
- experiencing a Higher Power from within
- able to be more present to life and more often
- true honesty with others
- learning to be a better listener, thus a better communicator
- coming to know my true and authentic self
- practicing a thorough and authentic daily self-examination
- seeing with the eyes of my heart
- uncovering my unhealthy character defects
- living with and accepting all my emotions
- the enjoyment of solitude and silence
- using journaling as letters, prayers, asking deep questions
- discovering my value as a human and the value of others
- uncovering and using the talents and gifts given to me at my conception
- finding and using my inner observer
This morning was quite windy. When I stepped outside about 7:00 am, I needed to pause and listen to the wind blowing through the trees. I smiled as the wind blew leaves from branches, enjoying their rustling dance across the ground. I took a deep breath, filled with hope and excitement, because the wind was a metaphor for the winds of change blowing in our world.