Keys For Living

[bluidkiti]

KEYS FOR LIVING

1. The best way to get even is to forget...

2. Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death...

3. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts...

4. Some folks wear their halos much too tightly...

5. Some marriages are made in heaven, but they ALL have to be maintained on earth...

6. Unless you can create the WHOLE universe in 5 days, then perhaps giving "advice" to God isn't such a good idea!

7. Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up...

8. Standing in the middle of the road is dangerous. You will get knocked down by the traffic from both ways.

9. Words are windows to the heart.

10. A skeptic is a person who, when he sees the handwriting on the wall, claims it's a forgery.

11. It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill just add a little dirt.

12. The mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.

13. Too many people offer God prayers, with claw marks all over them.

14. The tongue must be heavy indeed, because so few people can hold it.

15. To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover the prisoner was you.

16. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

17. You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out its neck...

18. If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet the water bill is higher.

And last but not least -- God gave the angels Wings, and He gave humans CHOCOLATE.

"The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.

The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything."

You are richer today if you have laughed, given or forgiven.

-- Author Unknown

Received in Email

[MajestyJo]

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If you open it, close it
If you turn it on, turn it off
If you unlock it, lock it up
If you said it, admit it
If you can't fix it, call someone who can
If you borrow it, return it
If you value it, take care of it
If you make a mess, clean it up
If you move it, put it back
If it belongs to someone else and you want to use it, get permission
If you don't know how to operate it, leave it alone
If it's none of your business, don't ask questions
If it ain't broke, don't fix it
If it will brighten someone's day, say it
If it will tarnish someone's reputation, keep it to yourself

[MajestyJo]

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You and I and everything in the universe exist as a part of the endless flow of God's Love.

Realizing this, we recognize that all creation is bound together with the same benevolence.

To harmonize with life is to come into accord with that part of God which flows through all things.

To foster and protect all life is both our mission and our prayer.

- Morehei Ueshibahtere


When you feel like lamenting anything, ask yourself, How am I likely to feel in a week? - a month? - a year? Sooner or later, surely, you'll stop feeling badly. So why waste all that time? Be happy now!

From Do It Now!, by J. Donald Walters

Please include a link back to The Antesian Road To Enlightenment in forwarded material, Thank you. antesianroadtoenlightenment-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

[MajestyJo]

Start Over

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When you've trusted God and walked his way,
When you've felt his hand lead you day by day,
But your steps now take you another way...
Start Over

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry,
When you've tried your best and there's no more try,
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why...
Start Over

When you've told your friends what you plan to do,
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through;
And now you're all alone and it's up to you...
Start Over

When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone,
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong,
And now your grandchildren have come along...
Start Over

When you've prayed to God so you'll know his will,
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still,
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill...
Start Over

When you think you're finished and want to quit,
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit,
When you've tried and tried to get out of it...
Start Over

When the year has been long and successes are few,
When December comes and you're feeling blue,
God gives a January just for you...
Start Over

Starting over means "Victories Won";
Starting over means "A Race well run";
Starting over means "God's Will Be Done";
Don't just sit there... START OVER.

Author : Unknown

[MajestyJo]

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Today, I will just relax. I will recognize that it does me no good to try to manipulate outcomes.

Good things will happen when the time is right. We cannot always be the judge of when that time will occur. Stress is created in manipulation, peace occurs in relaxation.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Today, I will take care of myself and my own needs.

It's amazing what happens when we put ourselves first. Even just the recognition that we have needs is a positive step forward.

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Today, I am able to honestly say what I feel with compassion for myself and others.

Often we say, "I am sorry" right after we have actually spoken up for ourselves, where, in fact, no apology is needed. It's just that it felt uncomfortable speaking up, so we felt that it was "wrong". There is no wrong or right. There is positive or negative. Choose positive!
__________________

-No one can predict to what heights you can soar.
Even you will not know until you spread your wings.

-A bump in the road is either an obstacle to be fought or
an opportunity to be enjoyed...it is all up to you.

-A bend in the road, is not the end of the road...
unless you fail to make the turn.

-There are many things in life that will catch your eye,
but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those.

-The greatest discovery of any generation is that
a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.

-Peace is found not in what surrounds us,
but in what we hold within.

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[MajestyJo]

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1. Slow down; God is still in heaven.
You are not responsible for doing
it all yourself, right now.

2. Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past.
Rest there. Each moment has richness
that takes a lifetime to savor.

3. Set your own pace.
When someone is pushing you,
it's OK to tell them they're pushing.

4. Take nothing for granted:
watch water flow, the corn grow,
the leaves blow, your neighbor mow.

5. Taste your food.
God gives it to delight
as well as to nourish.

6. Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set.
They are remarkable for their steady pattern
of movement, not their speed.

7. Quit planning how you're going to use
what you know, learn, or possess.
God's gifts just are; be grateful
and their purpose will be clear.

8. When you talk with someone,
don't think about what you'll say next.
Thoughts will spring up naturally
if you let them.

9. Talk and play with children.
It will bring out the unhurried
little person inside you.

10. Create a place in your home...
at your work...in your heart...
where you can go for quiet and recollection.
You deserve it.

11. Allow yourself time to be
lazy and unproductive.
Rest isn't luxury; it's a necessity.

12. Listen to the wind blow.
It carries a message of yesterday & tomorrow
- and now. NOW counts.

13. Rest on your laurels.
They bring comfort whatever their size,
age, or condition.

14. Talk slower. Talk less.
Don't talk.Communication isn't
measured by words.

15. Give yourself permission
to be late sometimes.
Life is for living, not scheduling.

16. Listen to the song of a bird;
the complete song.
Music and nature are gifts,
but only if you are willing to receive them.

17. Take time just to think.
Action is good and necessary,
but it's fruitful only if we
muse, ponder, and mull.

18. Make time for play -
the things you like to do.
Whatever your age, your inner child
needs re-creation.

19. Watch and listen to the night sky.
It speaks.

20. Listen to the words you speak,
especially in prayer.

21. Learn to stand back and let others
take their turn as leaders.
There will always be new opportunities
for you to step out in front again.

22. Divide big jobs into little jobs.
If God took six days to create the universe,
can you hope to do any better?

23. When you find yourself rushing
& anxious, stop. Ask yourself "WHY?"
you are rushing and anxious.
The reasons may improve
your self-understanding.

24. Take time to read.
Thoughtful reading
is enriching reading.

25. Direct your life with purposeful choices,
not with speed and efficiency.
The best musician is one who
plays with _expression and meaning,
not the one who finishes first.

26. Take a day off alone; make a retreat.
You can learn from monks and hermits
without becoming one.

27. Pet a furry friend.
You will give and get the gift of now.

28. Work with your hands.
It frees the mind.

29. Take time to wonder.
Without wonder,
life is merely existence.

30. Sit in the dark.
It will teach you to see
and hear, taste and smell.

31. Once in a while, turn down the lights,
the volume, the throttle, the invitations.
Less really can be more.

32. Let go. Nothing is usually the hardest
thing to do - but often it is the best.

33. Take a walk-but don't go anywhere.
If you walk just to get somewhere,
you sacrifice the walking.

34. Count your friends.
If you have one, you are lucky.
If you have more, you are blessed.
Bless them in return.

35. Count your blessings -
one at a time and slowly

~Author Unknown~

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[MajestyJo]

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Something wonderful is happening to me right now.
It is this thing called life.
Life is in my mind.
Life is in my body.
Life is in my affairs.
I receive it-I share it-I am it and I accept it.
Just the way that it is and just the way that it is not.
Thank you, life.

- Unknown

The things in your life will change for the better to the extent that you change for the better.

From The Angel of Health

[MajestyJo]

I am only as strong as the coffee I drink, the hairspray I use and the friends I have. To the cool men and women that have touched my life. Here is to you!

- An old e-mail posted on Jo's Kitchen

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Not sure if these are repeats, they are posts from my sites that are no longer in existence, but posts that I made on other sites.

[MajestyJo]

Live life fully

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“Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master your life and make the most of it.”

-- Alan Lakein

Refuse to feel USED by life! Make full use of it instead.

To do this, we initially need to take control of the time of our lives. Time management is life management, from the inside out. It’s an INSIDE job. You already have everything you need. You have the power to create a life of meaning, fulfillment and joy.



Your challenge is to find what works for you! Review the literature but make your own decisions. To do this, you’ll need to:

Get to know yourself -- your desires and passions, rhythms, styles, challenges, needs and habits.
Be aware that you always have choice. Claim your independence and power to choose what is right for your life, moment by moment.

“Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”

-- M. Scott Peck

From Higher Awarenes - used with permission

[MajestyJo]

We certainly get caught up in self and then I went the other extreme and didn't care, or so I told myself. It all boiled down to low self-esteem and self-worth.

I need to learn to value myself and put back the values that my disease had discarded along the way. I needed to be secure within myself, not look to outside things to make me feel better. I used make up, dangly earrings, different hairstyles and colors, all to try to improve upon the outside picture, when all I needed to do was go within, and fill up with spiritual things, then and only then, did my true beauty shine through.

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Grapevine Quote from April 2004

"I THOUGHT GOD WOULD OPEN UP THE GATES OF HEAVEN AND LET ME IN. HE DIDN'T. HE OPENED UP THE GATES OF HELL AND LET ME OUT"

"IT IS EASIER TO STAY STRAIGHT THEN TO GET STRAIGHT"

This is the CA version of the same quote:

I'm not certain in mind or heart if our Good Lord through His mercy love and wisdom will open up the Gates of Heaven and allow ME in. But from what I realize of my horrid past, through the 12 steps and the adorned fellowship, He certainly opened up the gates of Hell and let me out.

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[MajestyJo]

Warning Light
=============

Today I was driving in my truck up a busy street,
talking out loud to God, as I sometimes do.

I glanced down at my gas gauge for the 10th time only to see that I was still on empty, and the orange glow of the warning light was still very much glowing at me.

I had been telling God that I didn't know what to do and that I was in need of His wisdom.

My car insurance was due yesterday, my truck payment is 3 months overdue, my cell phone was turned off,
(I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks so that is a big one for me).

I am on medical disability for my anxiety, no job and very broke.

I explained to God that something really needed to change, and that I am at my end and can't do this anymore.

Now, let me explain something to you.

I believe in God. I attend an awesome church but not as
regularly as I should. I have a Bible but don't pick it up to read it as often as I should. I have so many opportunities to attend small group studies with my church and even get togethers, but I don't.

That's when it hit me.

I was running on empty.

My spiritual Warning Light has been glowing orange for months now, and I have just kept on going; filling up just enough to get me by, like I do with my gas tank, fill up with just $10.00 worth of gas to get me to the next week.

I didn't get the meaning of it until today. It hit me.

I was actually having a MountainWings moment, and I was excited.

I pulled over and thanked God for showing me what changes I needed to make, what I had to do to fill myself with spiritual fuel.

It was so simple that I had to laugh about it.

It's amazing how we talk to God, and yet sometimes never really open ourselves to listen for his reply.

~A MountainWings Original by Lisa Gizman, Lewiston, ID~

This was sent to me by a friend, and as they say, "God works through people, places and things."

It was because of a spiritual awareness like this that brought me to ***. I know that I can't just 'get by' and that I need spiritual food and I thank you all for being a part of my daily diet.

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[MajestyJo]

Ten Choices You Will Regret in 10 Years

“If only…” These two words paired together create one of the saddest phrases in the English language.

depressed

Here are ten choices that ultimately lead to this phrase of regret, and how to elude them:

1. Wearing a mask to impress others. – If the face you always show the world is a mask, someday there will be nothing beneath it. Because when you spend too much time concentrating on everyone else’s perception of you, or who everyone else wants you to be, you eventually forget who you really are. So don’t fear the judgments of others; you know in your heart who you are and what’s true to you. You don’t have to be perfect to impress and inspire people. Let them be impressed and inspired by how you deal with your imperfections.

2. Letting someone else create your dreams for you. – The greatest challenge in life is discovering who you are; the second greatest is being happy with what you find. A big part of this is your decision to stay true toyour own goals and dreams. Do you have people who disagree with you? Good. It means you’re standing your ground and walking your own path. Sometimes you’ll do things considered crazy by others, but when you catch yourself excitedly losing track of time, that’s when you’ll know you’re doing the right thing. Read The 4-Hour Workweek.

3. Keeping negative company. – Don’t let someone who has a bad attitude give it to you. Don’t let them get to you. They can’t pull the trigger if you don’t hand them the gun. When you remember that keeping the company of negative people is a choice, instead of an obligation, you free yourself to keep the company of compassion instead of anger, generosity instead of greed, and patience instead of anxiety.

4. Being selfish and egotistical. – A life filled with loving deeds and good character is the best tombstone. Those who you inspired and shared your love with will remember how you made them feel long after your time has expired. So carve your name on hearts, not stone. What you have done for yourself alone dies with you; what you have done for others and the world remains.

5. Avoiding change and growth. – If you want to know your past look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future look into your present actions. You must let go of the old to make way for the new; the old way is gone, never to come back. If you acknowledge this right now and take steps to address it, you will position yourself for lasting success. Read The Power of Habit.

6. Giving up when the going gets tough. – There are no failures, just results. Even if things don’t unfold the way you had expected, don’t be disheartened or give up. Learn what you can and move on. The one who continues to advance one step at a time will win in the end. Because the battle is always won far away and long before the final victory. It’s a process that occurs with small steps, decisions, and actions that gradually build upon each other and eventually lead to that glorious moment of triumph.

7. Trying to micromanage every little thing. – Life should be touched, not strangled. Sometimes you’ve got to relax and let life happen without incessant worry and micromanagement. Learn to let go a little before you squeeze too tight. Take a deep breath. When the dust settles and you can once again see the forest for the trees, take the next step forward. You don’t have to know exactly where you’re going to be headed somewhere great. Everything in life is in perfect order whether you understand it yet or not. It just takes some time to connect all the dots.

8. Settling for less than you deserve. – Be strong enough to let go and wise enough to wait for what you deserve. Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been to stand up taller than you ever were before. Sometimes your eyes need to be washed by your tears so you can see the possibilities in front of you with a clearer vision again. Don’t settle.

9. Endlessly waiting until tomorrow. – The trouble is, you always think you have more time than you do. But one day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to work on the things you’ve always wanted to do. And at that point you either will have achieved the goals you set for yourself, or you will have a list of excuses for why you haven’t. Read The Last Lecture.

10. Being lazy and wishy-washy. – The world doesn’t owe you anything, you owe the world something. So stop daydreaming and start DOING. Develop a backbone, not a wishbone. Take full responsibility for your life – take control. You are important and you are needed. It’s too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday. Someday is now; the somebody the world needs is YOU.

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[MajestyJo]

“Prayer is an invitation to God to come to you.
It is a simple method of asking.
Many lessons have been given
on the power of prayer.
It is the power of asking that is the true message.
The means and method of prayer
open the links between man and God.
The angels become part of your energy
with this invitation.”
Barbara Mark and Trudy Griswold

AngelSpeake
"Our private thoughts are known only to God.
The secret thoughts of all of us
are not known by angels or demons or one another.
Every prayer, however,
is heard instantly by our guardian angel."
Janice T. Connell

“Since God often sends us inspirations
by means of His angels,
we should frequently return our aspirations to him
by means of the same messengers.”
St. Francis De Sales

“Balance, peace, and joy
are the fruit of a successful life.
It starts with recognizing your talents
and finding ways to serve others by using them.”
Thomas Kinkade

“If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure,
stop trying to balance them.
Instead make your work more pleasurable.”
Donald Trump

“Do not question your ability or worthiness.
God is a universe of purpose-driven balance.
If you have been called to action,
it is because you have it within you
to rise to the challenge of your calling.
Now, RISE to it!”
Steve Maraboli

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[MajestyJo]

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John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

[MajestyJo]

I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, and fear. I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean in mind and clean in body. . . to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty unabashed and unafraid.

--Elbert Hubbard

Growing up, we learned there were many places to make wishes: the first star, a well, candles on a birthday cake. We saw Dorothy return from Oz after she wished she were back home. Fairy tales taught us wishes can come true.

We don't have to stop wishing, even though many of our wishes never came true. We may have wished for the impossible when we said "I wish things would get better at home." But we may have gotten our way when we said, "I wish this pain would end." Our dreams came true with the program.

Our best wishes can be about ourselves and the lives we want to have. We can wish for riches and find friends with hearts of gold. We can wish for comfort and health, and get a night of uninterrupted sleep. Whatever we wish for, we can receive.

You are reading from the book:

Night Light by Amy E. Dean


This reminds me of what my spiritual adviser once told me, "God meets my needs, sometimes my wishes and my wants. As a dear friend of mind use to say, "Put it out to the Universe and see what you get back."

Remember it is in God`s Time. Don`t put your life on hold, when you are meant to receive, you will know it is there. Watch for the blessings, perhaps your God answered you by giving you what you want in a new form, be prepared to acknowledge and accept it. Sometimes our God just says `No` not right now.

Many times I wish my pain would go away, yet in reality, I need to do the do things to help myself. Most times I am guided by a thought as to what I need. A lot of times it is acceptance, and asking for the knowingness to do what I need to do to help myself. He gives me the strength, courage, and wisdom.

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[MajestyJo]

HELPING THROUGH THE GRIEF

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Grief touches all of us. It may be because of a death of a loved one, a loss of a job or tragic life events beyond our control. Grieving hurts and heals. As you read through page, and the other 42 pages in our Helping Through the Grief Section, if you have something you would like to add, please send it here. By sharing, you can help others through their grief.

Love and peace,
Marlene

Bookmark and Share

"Everything happens for a reason. You might ask yourself why, that which you are going through has happened to you, but just understand that you are being made strong. Blaming others simply means you are not in total control of your life so you find someone responsible for your failures. Just don't give up in life. If you can't run, walk; if you can't walk, crawl, if you can't crawl, then roll. Just make sure you keep moving in life. Never give up. Take it one step at a time."

Author Unknown

"Trials are blessings we don't understand yet..."

Written in 2011 by John Giroux --- Kansas
Submitted by Machawe Chaawe Dlamini --- Swaziland

[MajestyJo]

Today's thought is:
God creates. People rearrange.
~Joseph Casey~

Being alive is our invitation to act in fresh, inventive ways. All it takes is concentrating on our inner vision in combination with external reality. The components for accomplishing any task are at our fingertips, awaiting discovery.

Our burdens are lightened when we understand that all situations are resolvable - no mystery need leave us in the dark for long. Just as surely as we each exist, so exists every element we need to solve any problem or chart any new course. Our purpose in life is to select those elements that will satisfy the need. We each have been blessed with this capability for proper selection.

The day promises challenge and many choices. I can successfully handle all possibilities.

You are reading from the book:


The Promise of a New Day by Karen Casey & Martha Vanceburg

Copyright 1983, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Posted this on May 19, 2006

The message is a positive and I had the thought, instead of immersing myself in all the chaos and life's trials and what can be tribulations, we need to draw things around us, protect ourselves, and use the tools of the program, to overcome the challenges, instead of being stuck, and not being able to see the forest for the trees.

We need to go within to find the answers. Yet inside each of us are a lot of old tapes and behaviors that are familiar, fears grounded in our past, and thoughts and feelings that we need to let go of, and learn to live a new life in a new way.

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I was just talking to a friend on line, we talked about this, and taking care of ourselves, so we have to care for others.

[MajestyJo]

Why We Feel Pain

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If you never felt pain, then how would you know that I am a Healer?

If you never had to pray, How would you know that I am a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial, how could you call yourself an over comer?

If you never felt sadness, How would you know that I am a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake, How would you know that I am a forgiver?

If you knew all, How would you know that I will answer your questions?

If you never were in trouble, How would you know that I will come to your rescue

If you never were broken, Then how would you know that I can make you whole?

If you never had a problem, How would you know that I can solve them?

If you never had any suffering, Then how would you know what I went through?

If you never went through the fire, Then how would you become pure?

If I gave you all things, How would you appreciate them?

If I never corrected you, How would you know that I love you?

If you had all power, Then how would you learn to depend on me?

If your life was perfect, Then what would you need me for?

Love,
Jesus

God our Father, walk through my house and take away all my worries and illnesses and please watch over and heal my family in Jesus name, Amen.



Found this on JoAnne's Recovery Site

This may be a rerun but it spoke to me today.

As they say, "No pain, no gain." Some days it feels like I am not getting very far.

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[MajestyJo]

Time for Joy - Book - Quote

Today I can wait until all negative and hostile feelings lose their power over me before I say or do anything.

I can take the time to breathe in peace and love, no matter what is going on in my life.

This quote verifies my lack of patience and my response to the person who closed the elevator door on me one morning. I did not practice patience as I said the words to the door. I even had the thought, 'I hope he hears me." I did not yell it, but I did verbalize my cuss words at him.

I am guilty of acting after the fact. When I find myself reacting like that it generally means I need to look at H.A.L.T. It isn't about the other person, it is about me.

I behaved like a child instead of the mature adult that I am, well when I remember to be.

H.A.L.T.
Don't get too Hungry.
Don't get too Angry.
Don't get too Lonely.
Don't get too Tired.

I need to remember that those four letters represent the four parts of my disease:- Mental, Emotional, Spiritual and Physical. I need to make sure I feed, nurture, comfort, and validate each one.

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[MajestyJo]

Live it well!

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You know, time has a way of moving quickly
and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was a young man,
just married and embarking on my new life with my mate.
And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago,
and I wonder where all the years went.
I know that I lived them all...

And I have glimpses of how it was back then
and of all my hopes and dreams ...
But, here it is...the winter of my life
and it catches me by surprise...

How did I get here so fast?
Where did the years go and
where did my babies go?
And where did my youth go?

I remember well...
seeing older people through the years
and thinking that those older people
were years away from me and
that winter was so far off that
I could not fathom it or
imagine fully what it would be like...

But, here it is...
wife retired and she's really getting gray...
she moves slower and I see an older woman now.
She's in better shape than me...
but, I see the great change...
Not the one I married who was young and vibrant...
but, like me, her age is beginning to show
and we are now those older folks
that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now,
I find that just getting a shower
is a real target for the day!
And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...
it's mandatory!
Cause if I don't on my own free will...
I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so, now I enter into this
new season of my life unprepared
for all the aches and pains
and the loss of strength and
ability to go and do things.
But, at least I know, that though the winter has come,
and I'm not sure how long it will last...
This I know,
that when it's over...its over....
Yes , I have regrets .
There are things I wish I hadn't done ....
things I should have done .
But indeed , there are many things I'm happy to have done ....
Its all in a lifetime ...

So, if you're not in your winter yet...
let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think.
So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life
please do it quickly!

Life goes by quickly
So, do what you can today,
because you can never be sure
whether this is your winter or not!

You have no promise that
you will see all the seasons of your life ...
so, live for good today and
say all the things that you want
your loved ones to remember...

"Life is a gift to you.
The way you live your life is
your gift to those who came after.
Make it a fantastic one."

LIVE IT WELL!!

~author unknown~

Posted in 2010

[MajestyJo]

"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him."

-- Aldous Huxley

"A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."

-- George Bernard Shaw


When I read these quotes from my daily reading, I thought of them with regard to my life as an addict prior to recovery. My whole life seemed a mistake, and yet I had to go through what I had to go through to get to the doors of recovery.

Most of my experiences were as a result of living my life through other people and with out much thought of doing what I wanted to do. In fact, there were a lot of things that I always wanted to do, but just never got the chance to do them. Mostly because I spent my money using, but also because the man in my life demand my time, attention, and often my money. I certainly didn't set boundaries.

It seemed like my life was one big mistake. It was very gratifying to find out that just because I made them, didn't mean I was one.

There wasn't a lot of honourable deeds on the whole and yet it wasn't all bad. I volunteered for different organizations like the Cancer society, The Heart Fund, put on Senior Movie Nites and held Euchre parties. The motive wasn't as pure as it has been in recovery, but the thoughts were there. More out of looking for approval and acceptance than with the thought of helping others.

With the Legion and being a Ladies Auxiliary Member, I did a lot of things and was a very outgoing person. It was a prime example of how every time I picked up I gave away a piece of myself. Instead of this outgoing woman who was involved with the community, I became an intoverted person who existed in a small room at the YWCA. Even there, they called me the Den Mother of the Fourth Floor.

What I wasn't doing was taking care of myself. I was too busy caretaking everyone else. I was just marking time and it got so that I needed more and more drugs because I couldn't deal with life and wanted to just hide away and not face it. What had been my best friend had become my enemy and it stopped working for me. It no longer became a coping tool.

I was shutting down and detaching from my family and friends. My life was nothing and I felt even more like nothing, with no self-esteem, respect, worth, care or confidence.

Thank God for recovery and the healing of the 12 Steps and Traditions.

Posted on another site in 2009

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[MajestyJo]

Days of Healing Days of Joy

He has served who now and then Has helped along his fellowmen. .Edgar A. Guest

It's hard to be interested in something that seems too remote. Sure, we're sorry for starving people in faraway places. And the TV news story about whole villages disappearing in an earthquake makes us feel terrible-until the next news story comes on. It doesn't mean we're bad people when we don't respond much to such tragedies. It only means they're not personal - and only the personal is real.

We care most about what we're involved in directly. If we're not personally involved, we're not very
enthusiastic either. If we are the ones starting a new ACOA meeting, setting up the chairs, making the coffee, the success of that meeting means a lot to us. If our children are on drugs, we're not bored by city council meetings where new drug programs are discussed. It's our stake in something that makes it important.

The world doesn't need any more spectators. To feel more alive, we must be more alive. Caring is life and involvement is growth.

Today, I will not sit on the sidelines. I will act on behalf of a good cause that deserves my support.


We need to give to others in order to keep my recovery. It can be in my back yard, someone else's, or I can take it out into the world and help others. We all have different gifts. God given gifts. It is up to us to utilize them. He gave, we receive, and then we pay it forward.

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[MajestyJo]

http://www.lifeohm.com/wp-content/uploads/Beginnings.jpg

When is enough, enough? When you think, enough already, I have had enough.

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[MajestyJo]

Customer Service Rep: Yes, Ma'am, how can I help you today?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install love.
Can you guide me through the process?

CS Rep: Yes, I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready to install
now. What do I do first?

CS Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma'am?

Customer: Yes I have, but there are several other programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?

CS Rep: What programs are running ma'am?

Customer: Let's see, I have PAST-HURT.EXE, LOW-ESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.

CS Rep: No problem. LOVE will gradually erase PAST-HURT.EXE from your
current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it
will no longer disrupt other programs.

LOVE will eventually overwrite LOW-ESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own
called HIGH- ESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma'am?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

CS Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do
this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?

CS Rep: Yes. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?

Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?

CS Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to
begin connecting to other Heart's in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops. I have an error message already. What should I do?

CS Rep: What does the message say?

Customer: It says "ERROR 412 - PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS." What does that mean?

CS Rep: Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem. It means that the LOVE
program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on
your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in
non-technical terms it means you have to "LOVE" your own machine before it
can "LOVE" others.

Customer: So what should I do?

CS Rep: Can you pull down the directory called "SELF-ACCEPTANCE"?

Customer: Yes, I have it.

CS Rep: Excellent. You're getting good at this.

Customer: Thank you.

CS Rep: You're welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to
the "MYHEART" directory: FORGIVE-SELF.DOC, REALIZE-WORTH.TXT, and
ACKNOWLEDGE-LIMITATIONS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting
files and begin patching any programming. Also, you need to delete
SELF-CRITIC.EXE from all directories, and to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back, you will need to empty your recycle bin.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with new files. SMILE.MPG is
playing on my monitor right now and it shows that PEACE.EXE, and
CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART. Is this normal?

C Rep: Sometimes. For others it takes a while, but eventually everything
gets downloaded at the proper time.

So, LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here.
One more thing before I go.

Customer: Yes?

CS Rep: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to
everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they
will return some similarly cool modules back to you.

Customer: I will. Thanks for your help. By the way, what's your name?

CS Rep: You can call me the Divine Cardiologist, also known as The Great
Physician. Most people feel all they need is an annual checkup to stay
heart-healthy, but the manufacturer suggests a schedule of daily
maintenance for maximum efficiency.

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[MajestyJo]

Seven Thoughts about Faith

by Steve Brunkhorst

Faith is respectful. It respects our Creator and the unique purposes He has asked us to fulfill. Faith gives us the belief that we can succeed and the humility to accept success with sincere gratitude.

Faith is action-oriented. It sees what can be
accomplished and encourages us to act on inspired ideas. Faith gets us started -- even if the first actions are small. We affirm that we "can" rather than "can't" and "will" rather than "won't". As a result, we "do".

Faith is compassionate. It recognizes the needs of others and places their welfare first. Faith does not attract success at the expense of other people.

Faith increases when it is shared. When we communicate our faith, we also inspire faith in others. The best way to share faith is through actions.

Faith is diligent. It endures life's winters and greets the springs with vigor and strength. It grants wisdom with each failure. Faith brings hope and turns
misfortune into fortune.

Faith is responsible. It grants courage, resolve and dependability in obtaining the objectives that we seek.

Faith is creative. It begins with love, the foundation of all good things. Faith does not need to compete for success. Rather, it recognizes our capacity to think, create value, and solve problems in new ways.

We talk so much about fear. Fear needs to be replaced by faith.

Faith has been coming up for me. Having faith that this new medication will work. Trying to have faith in my doctor when he says, "It is a good pill. It is not a narcotic." Yet I don't like how it makes me feet and makes my body swell. Faith that things will be alright with my son. Faith that there is always a solution to any challenge, big or small. Have faith that He is ever with me.

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[MajestyJo]

(Romans 10:17 ESV)
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Rom. 10:17
Paul now sums up the argument thus far.
One can come to faith only through hearing the gospel,
and the specific message that must be heard
is the word of Christ,
that is,
the good news about Jesus Christ
as the crucified and risen Savior.

*********************************************

http://www.1828-dictionary.com/d/search/word,faith


FAITH, n. [L. fides, fido, to trust; Gr. to persuade, to draw towards any thing, to conciliate; to believe, to obey. In the Greek Lexicon of Hederic it is said, the primitive signification of the verb is to bind and draw or lead, as signifies a rope or cable. But this remark is a little incorrect. The sense of the verb, from which that of rope and binding is derived, is to strain, to draw, and thus to bind or make fast. A rope or cable is that which makes fast. Heb.]


1. Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence; the judgment that what another states or testifies is the truth. I have strong faith or no faith in the testimony of a witness, or in what a historian narrates.

2. The assent of the mind to the truth of a proposition advanced by another; belief, or probable evidence of any kind.

3. In theology, the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed. Simple belief of the scriptures, of the being and perfections of God, and of the existence, character and doctrines of Christ, founded on the testimony of the sacred writers, is called historical or speculative faith; a faith little distinguished from the belief of the existence and achievements of Alexander or of Cesar.

4. Evangelical, justifying, or saving faith, is the assent of the mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God's testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or approbation of the heart; an entire confidence or trust in God's character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that firm belief of God's testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for salvation.

Posted by Mountain Man

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[MajestyJo]

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Shame is a learned response. There is a lot of interest in shame these days in relation to addiction and recovery from addiction. When we start feeling shameful, we leave ourselves and operate much like someone on drugs or alcohol. Nothing clear can get in. Nothing clear can come out.

It is important to remember that shame is learned and that anything that is learned can be unlearned. Shame was used to control us when we were younger, and now we often use it to control others. When we start feeling ashamed, no new information can come in, we canot process information clearly, and we cannot communicate clearly. We are in our addictive disease.

Ir is important to see the role shame has played in our lives. It is also important not to stay stuck in it.

=======================

I found that if I took the thought of me acting out in my disease out of the shame, then there was nothing left. It wasn't the real me, it was my disease that was talking.

I had to share it talk about it, and separate the reality and the real me, from the misconception of my disease and the old tapes of yesterday. As I shared with a friend in a meeting once, of up take the real "me" out of the equation, there isn't much left to the equation. The same held true for blame.

It doesn't mean I can have to condone the acts, I am responsible for them; but I do need to forgive the person, because it was the disease talking, the old tapes running, and me trying to live up to them, and never feeling like I quite measured up.

Yet as they say, if we didn't have the remorse and guilt we wouldn't be alcoholics or addicts. It is a symptom of our dis-ease!

Posted in 2004 on another site.

~SHAME~

Take away the sham and I am left with me. I am not the only one, but I am responsible for my own actions. So many times I was a victim of other people's choices. I didn't know I had an option and felt shame for being there.

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[MajestyJo]

The Lord's Baseball Game

Bob and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was playing Satan's team. The Lord's team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs.

They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate whose name was Love. Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because Love never fails.

The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love. The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass: Ball one.

Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked, because Godly Wisdom never swings at what Satan throws. The bases were now loaded. The Lord then turned to Bob and told him He was now going to bring in His star player. Up to the plate stepped Grace. Bob said, "He sure doesn't look like much!"

Satan's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen. But Satan was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground; then it continued over the fence for a home run!

The Lord's team won! The Lord then asked Bob if he knew why Love, Faith, and Godly Wisdom could get on base but could not win the game. Bob answered that he did not know why.

The Lord explained, "If your love, faith, and wisdom had won the game you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, Faith and Wisdom will get you on base but only My Grace can get you Home.

Psalm 84:11, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

Posted on another site in 2004

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[MajestyJo]

The reason I posted it on this column is the last line of this post. Originally posted on The Spirit of Healing.

This post was received from a group called Crystal Folk.

I thank them for giving us permission to use their material. They believe something good is to be shared and passed on to others. We thank them for their caring and sharing.

The following is a meditation site received from this site:

Click here: page2
duwali.homestead.com/page2.html

Click here: 1 Minute Meditation
www.innerspace.org.uk/meditation-minute.htm


I AM
Lordès

meditationcenter.com/

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This website makes no claim to give us instant peace of mind but it does make available a large number of meditation techniques to place us on the path. Instruction is available to those who are new to mediation as well as to those more advanced. This site provides links to 4 basic meditations, core meditations which involve the use of breath and focusing on inner light, meditations to relieve stress through relaxation, healing meditations, and a centering meditation.

Give this site a try. You may find it almost as good as your morning cup of coffee. From the SO Much Love, Juanita

Also from 2004, all links are still working.

[MajestyJo]

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Adopt a comfortable, relaxed posture and direct your awareness to your body. When walking, be aware that you are walking; when standing, be aware that you are standing; when sitting, be aware that you are sitting; when lying down, be aware that you are lying down. Be aware of bending down or straightening up, bending forward or backward, lowering or lifting your head, eating, drinking, and so on. You can also be mindful of your breath, as described earlier. Then, concentrate on the various parts of your body, one after the other. Begin with your head, hair, ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, and so on. Send your attention down along your neck, shoulders, arms, hands, and fingernails. Move to the chest, to the waist, and down to the soles of your feet. Go up again. Then visualize the inside of your body: the flesh, the tendons, the bones, the heart, the lungs, the veins and arteries and the blood running through them, the other bodily fluids, the liver, and the intestines. Focus your mindfulness on them. Finally, simple place your awareness on whichever perception of the body arises in your mind.

Matthieu Ricard

[MajestyJo]

When I was using and when I fall back into old patterns and habits in today, my decision making is generally around three things, me, myself, and I.

It was always about my drug of choice and what I want and not about what other people wanted. I was the big I am and it was my way or the highway. There were no options, no compromise, no discussion, no avenues other than the direction I wanted and the way I wanted it, which was now, yesterday if possible.

When I learned to do all the things I hadn't been doing to process things and live in today, without using people, places, and things, then I could open my mind and my heart and include others and look at what was good for the whole and it was no just about me. Just for today, that is all I have. I learned to deliberate. If I didn't know, then I leaned to accept it without covering it up with a lot of bluster, promises, confrontation, and threats.

As my spiritual adviser said to me, "If you don't know then the time is not right. If the time was right, then you would know. If you ask that the knowing be given onto you, then it will be there." I have come to believe in this and found it true in my life. It helped me to not beat myself up by meeting unattainable goals and timelines.

So much of my life was should I, shouldn't I. I ended up shoulding all over the place. Then I would rationalize and say, If I did this, and try to figure it out instead of leaving it in God's hands. I would think, "I could do this and this, and again trying to play 'God' with my life instead of letting go and letting my God lead, guide and direct me."

Just for today, my life is in His/Her Hands. I have been in too much pain. Something has to change, and I know it will. My doctor never called back, so call or no call, I have quit the medication. Nothing further can be said to change my mind or make me think I made the wrong decision, even though the pharmacist yesterday told me I should come off it gradually. I haven't wanted to take this medication for a long time. I kept listening to my doctor instead of myself. No more, I need to do what is good for me.

I should have researched it further and things wouldn't have gotten this to this stage. When it started affecting my eyes, enough was enough. I already had an enlarged kidney before the present damage was done. Not waiting for it to affect my heart too. I don't see the internist from the hospital until Sept. 3. I have no desire to wait that long.

One of my pet peeves is a ditherer! I just realized that "that is what I become" when I hum and haw over a decision.

Posted on another site on 2011

Step Three says we come to a decision. We can put our life in God's Care or we can go on, in our old merry way, which generally ends up in natural disaster. We plunge in with no thought of the consequences.

http://angelwinks.net/images/peanuts/peanuts2.jpg

[MajestyJo]

CHANGE OF ATTITUDE

http://angelwinks.net/images/lisavictoria/lisavictoria8.jpg

-Your attitude decides whether you are happy or not. You can change your attitude.

-Happiness is a state of mind. More correctly put, it is the state beyond the mind.

-It is our attitude that makes us feel happy or unhappy.

-Your thoughts and worries hide away your happiness.

-If you smile while you talk, you make people happy.

-A calm and detached mind is the gate to true happiness.

-Happiness is experienced after a problem has been solved, a fear has disappeared or after realizing a desire. At this moment the mind is released from it fears, worries and desires and becomes quiet, letting the happiness emerge.

-Look at the happy side of life, and you will develop the happiness habit.

-Learn to laugh. This will make you feel better.

-Focusing your mind on everything that you, do increases your control over your mind, which makes it easier for the inner joy to manifest.

-Your inner nature is bliss and joy. Clean your mind and you will find this treaSure within you.

-When you wake up from deep sleep you feel happy. This is because the mind was quiet. If you are able to make your mind quiet in your waking hours you will experience happiness.

received with thanks from Inspiration Plus

[MajestyJo]

FREE TO BE YOU

Watch your attitudes, know that you are responsible for yourself and not others. Realize that all judgment of, criticism of, condemnation, and anger towards other people is to be released to their own good. Bless all people as they travel the highway of life and always remember that you are free to be you. And therefore, everybody else is free to be themselves.

Begin to enjoy everyone around you. Keep in mind that love, intelligence and courage is always present enabling us to always be who we are. We can rise up and accomplish all that we desire and maintain the joy, happiness and fulfillment we seek - all we need do is practice our spiritual exercises, study and act as we believe with deep faith. II TIMOTHY 1: 7 reads, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the power and love and sound mind."

Antestian Newsletter - Road to Enlightenment

Something I posted in 2010

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[MajestyJo]

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"If life is a bowl of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?"

-- Erma Bombeck

When I saw this, I thought it read, "What am I doing with the pits?"

Both are worth thought and require action on my part. The 12 Steps are applicable to both.

Am I practicing the principles in all my affairs? Do I work the Steps into my daily life? Do I just think program in meetings and leave my program at the door when I go home, to work, or out into the community?

Do I think, oh woe is me? I am an alcoholic. I am so hard done by, forgetting that I should be grateful that I have found this new way of living. If I wasn't an alcoholic, I wouldn't have known that there was a chance at recovery.

Do I sometimes need to eat my words? Do I give others a second thought? Am I so caught up in self that I don't have time for others?

[MajestyJo]

WE CAN HANDLE ALL THAT COMES TO US

We are never divorced from our past - we are in company with it forever, and it acquaints us with the present. Our responses today reflect our experiences yesterday. And these roots lie in the past. We look at the past, check that which appears to be negative and mentally correct it by handling it in our mind as we would now. Then release it and begin again fresh and new. Everyday is offering us preparation for the future, for lessons to come, without which we'd not offer our full measures to the design which contains the development of all of us. Our experiences, past and present are not coincidental. We will be introduced to those experiences that are consistent with our talents and the right lessons designated for the part we are requested to play in life. We can remember that no experiences will attract us that are beyond our capabilities to handle.

PEARL S. BUCK wrote, "One faces the future with one's past."

Are you able to recognize situations in your past and mentally correct them now?

- Antestian Newsletter

As The Promises in AA say, "We will not regret the past or wish to shut the door on it."

eally like this, if I don't think or I am not aware of my past, I just might continue to act out in my disease. Like the Five As, I need to be aware I have a problem, I have to admit to it, I have to accept it so I can take action to change my attitude, and/or change my attitude so I can take action.

Another thing I found was that I can't base my future on my past, that person isn't any more. In today, I take my God with me.

We never know what is going to happen each day, we never know what is coming our way, and what we need to handle. Life on life's terms, means stay clean and sober, using the Steps and going to our Higher Power for Good Orderly Direction.

This past week to ten days, has been a prime example of this. So grateful my God is Comforter, Creator, Master, Teacher, Counsellor, and all things that I need in today.

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[MajestyJo]

PERSONAL WORTH:

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No matter how intelligent, attractive, or talented you may be - to the degree you doubt your worthiness you tend to sabotage your recovery efforts and undermine your relationships. Life is full of gifts and opportunities; you will open to receive and enjoy them to the degree that you begin to appreciate your innate worth, and to offer to yourself the same compassion and respect that you would give to others. Discovering your worth sets your spirit free.

Many factors shape our lives, including beliefs, support systems, motivation, relationships, family dynamics, fate, karma. But the central premise is that our sense of self-worth is the single most important determinant of the health, abundance, and joy we allow into our lives. Discovering your Worth is no more or less important than other potentials but only when you recognize your personal worth will you be open to other life potentials. Discovering your worth provides a foundation from which to build, one potential at a time, a new way of life. Finding your worth is the first step in creating enlightenment and enhancing your recovery work.

At its core, your level of self-worth is your answer to a single internal question: "How deserving am I?" Or, to put it more directly as it pertains to your daily life: "How good can I stand it today?" If you observe your life very closely, you will discover that you don't necessarily get what you deserve. Your addictions or life problems has not diminished your worth as a person. Only to the degree that you appreciate your innate human worthiness will your subconscious mind open up to life's gifts. Success involves talent, effort, and creativity, but first of all, it requires a willingness to receive. Do you feel worthy of being well? When a window of opportunity appears, do you pull down the shade? Each of us has a specific degree of pleasure that feels right and appropriate. If that level is exceeded it makes us anxious. Many recovering people fear success because they do not feel worthy.

Because many people assume that self-esteem and self-worth mean the same thing, it seems important for me to note the distinction between the two. Self-worth (associated with self-respect) refers to your overall sense of value, worth, goodness, and derisiveness. Your sense of worth can change over time based upon your actions. For example, my sense of self-worth has increased over time as I gradually learned to be a responsible person, loving father, a good friend and partner, my work as a therapist, and whatever minor assistance I bring to Dynamics Of Recovery or other services that I become involved in.

Self-esteem (associated with self-confidence) refers to liking or feeling good about yourself, your appearance, or your abilities. Your sense of self-esteem may change moment to moment, based on appearance, ability or situation. For example, as a clinical therapist I feel high self-esteem (confidence) in therapeutic situations, but less self-esteem at parties or social gatherings.

The central theme of this lesson/posting is that you "subconsciously" choose or attract into your life those people and experiences you believe you deserve! In everyday life pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional - a by-product of poor choices. Get it? Want to argue the point? Your sense of worth or deserving shapes your life by creating tendencies. If you feel unworthy and undeserving, you tend to make destructive or limiting choices. Do you see why this is the first lesson?

At each and every crossroads you are free to choose the high road - by being kind to others, working hard, finding supportive partners, and following good role models. Or you may choose the low road - by burning your bridges, practicing addictive behaviors, or choosing destructive relationships. Your sense of self-worth tends to influence whether you choose to learn easy lessons or difficult ones, to strive or to struggle, to cave in to difficulties or rise above them. Such choices determine your educational and income level, your health habits - even your longevity. Those of us with a strong sense of self-worth are less likely to get caught up in self-destructive habits with addictions or other aberrant behaviors..

There is a danger of studying self-worth from a distance - exploring the issue the way some people explore a territory from an air conditioned bus. Keeping a safe distance is more comfortable but far less useful than feeling its impact on your life right now. Remember that your sense of self-worth - of derisiveness - is related to your perception of your relative goodness.

Self-worth is not a thing; it is a perception. The first step is to realize that you are not alone. We have all made mistakes as part of our life and growth. We have all said, thought, felt, and done things we regret. Our worth is not dependent upon being perfect. If we can stop judging our mistakes so harshly, we can also stop ourselves from reactively engaging in the negative behaviors.

The second realization is that no matter what your behavior, you have done the best you could every day of your life. You may not agree with this. So before we tackle that question, consider this principle in relation to your parents or other caregivers: Whether they were kind or abusive, they were doing the best they knew how in light of their own limitations, wounds, beliefs, fears, values, and anxieties. Their best may have been wonderful, or terrible, or somewhere in between. In the same way, even though you have certainly fallen short of your ideal many times and made mistakes, you have also done the very best you were capable of at the time.

Most of us have replayed in our minds an incident we wish we could do over. Maybe we could have done better on a job interview, an exam, or a performance. You cannot change past mistakes, but you can avoid repeating them. The past no longer exists except as a set of memories and impressions you keep alive in the present. By focusing on doing what you can do now - by reviewing your mistakes with eyes of compassion and asking for forgiveness - you do much to heal your fragmented sense of worth.

Trust the process. The next time you feel that something good can't last, remind yourself that evolution moves in an upward spiral and that life can, and usually does, get better over time. You live and learn, stumble and fall, fail and grow, expand, and progress.

Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.

-Alice Mackenzie Swaim

Originally posted at Dynamics of Recovery and taken from my group Star Choices

[MajestyJo]

Send loving-kindness to yourself. Really love yourself.
Want yourself to be happy and joyful. Recall a happy
time and hold that feeling in your heart.

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Repeat these phrases in your mind:

I love myself.
May I be free from anger.
May I be free from sadness.
May I be free from pain.
May I be free from difficulties.
May I be free from all suffering.
May I be free from attachment,
Free from anger and ill-will.
May I be healthy.
May my body be healthy and strong.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be happy.
May I be really happy.
May I be at peace.
I spread this loving-kindness out.

Unknown to me