Women for Sobriety

Monday Thoughts 12/10/2018

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Monday Thoughts

“Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it, nothing great was ever achieved.” ~~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Enthusiasm is the energy and force that builds literal momentum of the human soul and mind.” ~~Bryant. H. McGill

“Every project is a race between your enthusiasm and your ability to get it done. Go fast. Don’t slow down. A year from now, new things will interest you.” ~~Jill Soloway

Statement #11
Enthusiasm is my daily exercise.
I treasure the moments of my New Life.

Why is enthusiasm important in sobriety and recovery? Why does it matter? The WFS Program booklet states “Enthusiasm adds fire to life and provides the energy for accomplishment. By making enthusiasm our daily exercise, we can learn to appreciate the value of our New Life.”

Enthusiasm also “gives life a special meaning. To be enthusiastic is to live each day to the fullest. It makes us feel alive and vibrant. It lights up the inner part of our being—we glow, and others respond to this. Much of this is easier said than done, and it takes conscious awareness and daily practice to reap the rewards.

Here are 4 ways to bring enthusiasm to life during your day:

  1. Be yourself: It can be next to impossible to feel enthusiasm when we are trying to live someone else’s life. What matters to you? What do you wish to accomplish? Live your own story.
  2. Act enthusiastic: Some days we simply do not want to be where we are, whether physically or mentally. Boring meeting? Change your perspective and add sparkling moments. Tired of the cold? Bring yourself out of the blahs by acting enthusiastic. Remember, practice makes permanent.
  3. Give yourself time: Every day, give yourself 15, 30 minutes or an hour to do what you absolutely love. This removes complaining that there isn’t enough time for ourselves. Feel your enthusiasm begin to soar.
  4. Be good to your body: Eat well and get enough sleep. Unplug before bed and learn to balance meals for optimal health. Exercise and meditate, move your body with yoga/walking or discover a sport that fits you. Learn to meditate, finding time to experience and reflect the moment.

What ways have you developed to practice enthusiasm?

Hugzzz
Karen

Hi 4C Women,

Great tips on creating and living with enthusiasm, especially that practice makes permanent.

I organized some of my 30 years of WFS papers and found a message from Nancy Cross dated Nov. 26, 2007 taken from Days of Healing-Days of Joy by Larsen & Hegarty that I would like to share along with my comments from that day. It still rings true for me and demonstrates that insightful guidance remains timeless.

“Passivity and patience are not the same thing. We can wait our whole lives for fortune or love to come our way, but if we don’t initiate action (which means risking failure) the opportunities that pass before us daily will probably never be actualized.

Boldness is the opposite of passivity. To be bold means to choose our destination, to set our own course, and to be brave enough to correct that course if we decide it’s not taking us where we want to go.

To be bold is to act…not with ruthless aggression…but with determined energy. It is to reach out and move toward what we are seeking rather than waiting for it to magically materialize.

When we are able to identify our wants and needs, we become better at making choices and at plotting a personal program of growth. Learning to proceed this way takes courage and practice…and the firm conviction that we ARE worth the trouble.”

Today, I will act…not react.

This day I am a hammer…not a nail.

EnJOY!
Nancy

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Hi 4C Women,

I love the image of being a hammer rather than a nail. It represents the truth that we are in charge of our decisions, our plans. It doesn’t mean that our plans always work out the way we hoped but we are in charge of making them!  Taking risks, building our resiliency against reacting negatively towards disappointment, learning what brings us joy and making plans for our future are all part of building a phenomenal tool chest. Start building!

Love,
4C WFS Member