Monday Thoughts 8/17/2020

“Don’t go through life, grow through life.”  ~~Eric Butterworth

“We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.”  ~~Oprah Winfrey

“Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.”  ~~Chinese Proverb
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#8 The fundamental object of life is emotional and spiritual growth.

Daily I put my life into a proper order, knowing which are the priorities.
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 Before my New Life, any growth was measured in height, weight, years and always against others. Today, with the WFS New Life Program and Statement #8, growth is an investment.  It is measuring myself against my own yardstick instead of comparing myself to the world.  It is a reflection of who I was yesterday, who I am currently and who I wish to be in the future.

Growth is as fluid as a river; winding, ebbing and flowing.  In sobriety and recovery, growth is critical to development and prevents relapse.  In our Beginner Collection booklet on page 79 it states, “The word ‘growth’ appears in the explication of almost every Statement.  ‘Growth’, or change, is the key to recovery.  It really means an exploration of ourselves.  It is a learning process of who we are and what we need to change.  The object of living is to find the best of ourselves and, when we do that, we experience emotional growth.  Spiritual growth is possibly the most important aspect of our recovery.  It means our acknowledgment that we are part of a larger whole.”

The WFS Statements encourage growth.  Each year, I reflect and take note of just how far I have come and focus on what’s next.  My first year sober was like a newborn, everything was brand new, fresh, and filled with learning.  I immersed myself on the WFS Forum and attended as many chats as I could.  I read the Statements forwards and backwards.  Today, I can either read or recite them silently, treasure time with other 4C women and connect spiritually.  Adapting to the ever-changing pace of life, growth is expected, contains wisdom and is the fundamental object of life.

Hugzzz

Karen

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Hi 4C Women,

Emotional and spiritual growth is a life-long process and I am so grateful for that.  It leaves me open minded to continue learning, understanding the need for positive change and discovering what my priorities are as my life is definitely not stagnant.  These past few months have made that evidently clear.  I have learned a lot about myself during this pandemic, what my current needs are and how to hopefully meet them as I now have different priorities.  Here is my WFS life-lesson – the 13 Statements of Acceptance for a New Life has already given me the coping tools as my foundation for recovery.  It has taught me to be resilient when I might have wanted to run in the past.   Not saying those thoughts don’t pop into my mind every now and then but I have also learned that those are brief moments and they do not scare me as they did in the past.  I know it is the action that follows the thought that sustains my recovery.   The action of letting go of the fear that these negative thoughts will sabotage my sobriety is why it is remains at the top of my priority list no matter how much time has passed and what the circumstances are.

As we work through the process of emotional and spiritual growth, I’d like to share a message from Nancy Cross, a beloved WFS member who gave so much while she was still with us.  “Recovery demands not that we heal every wound immediately, not that we battle a dozen fronts at once, but that patiently, we pick one area, start someplace.”  This is what I encourage you to do.  If you are struggling with where to start, focus on one thing that speaks to you now and identify the feeling that might be the key to uncovering your path to emotional and spiritual growth.  Is it fear, uncertainty, anger, resentment, disappointment, betrayal? These are just some feelings, however, there are many more.   Where is this feeling coming from – a person, a situation?   How can you face it and challenge its hold on your emotional and spiritual growth?  Our healing depends greatly on identifying the feeling, meeting our needs and in the process, understanding our emotional and spiritual priorities.  Can you list 2 or 3?  Do you have an action plan to tackle them in a manner that promotes and heals your fears, your wounds to experience emotional and spiritual growth? Consider sharing these with someone you trust to get feedback from their experiences.  I always appreciate the life experiences of others yet knowing we decide where we need to start or to continue moving forward.  Bonded in understanding and setting our priorities to attain emotional and spiritual growth, Dee

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New Offering on WFS Online!

We are rolling out our recorded sessions from the 2020 Virtual Weekend Conference (as permitted by presenters) through a series of Watch Parties! Grab the popcorn and hop into the WFS Online Zoom Room to watch the recording. Discuss the session in the chat box in real time and stay after to chat as a group.