Monday Thoughts 5.13.24

“Sometimes people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not their road to travel.”
Maya Mendoza

“When things change inside you, things change around you.”
Unknown

“And when you look back, you’ll see how every dot connected, how a path was made when you couldn’t see a path, and all you had to do was trust.”
Cara Alwill

#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.

Recently, we again filled our home with two Chihuahua puppies. Our younger girl is brave and adventurous while our slightly older boy is a bit more reserved. Both are bringing immense joy while teaching us lessons related to change and Statement #8 in action. It all started with a simple garden hose.

For a couple of weeks, the front yard has been an exciting adventure. So many things to see, smell, and find, similar to early sobriety. Then it changed. Out of nowhere for them, a garden hose ran through the yard, separating their favorite spots. Our fearless gal looked a bit hesitant, wandered over it with her tail wagging, and off she went to explore again. Our timid boy stopped at the sight of it and fear drenched his face. It was only an inch tall but even with encouragement, he would not cross over it. In his mind, it was ten feet tall. It was a reminder of how intimidating change can feel, yet it was an excellent visual perspective. I have felt that fear of change, making something bigger out of it than it really was. 

How many times had change felt so foreign in sobriety and recovery? Too often to count. When he finally decided to investigate the hose, he leapt over it by three feet and the satisfaction was pure joy as he bolted around the yard. The next few days the height diminished with his fear and soon it was just a thing. It was nothing; it was just a hose. This week, take time to acknowledge and share all the empowering changes in your New Life. What garden hose have you jumped over? 

Hugzzz
Karen

Dear 4C Women,

I love the analogy Karen shared about her puppies, how they each individually reacted to change and the level of fear each felt. The older puppy finally overcame his fear and found great joy in exploring. It certainly sounded similar to how each of us might have approached and initially reacted in our recovery journey. Because individually we have our personal history, traumas, and fears. It is comforting to know we each go through the process at our own pace in creating emotional and spiritual growth. My biggest challenge was to let go of being the victim in my life, to learn how to take responsibility for my part, and grow/learn from that. The best part was knowing that this process was personal, that I didn’t need to compare myself to others, to know what I needed was to be willing and open to change. We live in a world of expected instantaneous results which is unrealistic when it comes to recovery. When we want to know anything about anything, we just google it. Recovery doesn’t work that way which taught me that the inner work would allow me to heal emotionally and spiritually for the long term. Just as my substance abuse didn’t happen overnight, I gave myself space and time to make the needed changes to create a New Life. 

When it comes to emotional and spiritual growth and putting your priorities in order, consider these questions:
What is most important to me today?
How am I making that importance a priority?
How can I add more of what I love into my day-week-month-year?
What am I willing to let go of so I can have what I really want?
Have I grown from my past experiences?
How do you experience spiritual growth?
Do you know what your core values are and if you are living your life accordingly?

 (Core values are who you are right now, not who you think you should be, can be, or might be. They define who you are on the inside – your core. These values help you define what matters most to you in your life and they are the basis for making better choices for taking care of yourself. We all have our personal values that define who we are as individuals. Example: core value is strong family connections yet you are always working which is inconsistent with your core values.) 

Bonded in creating a New Life based on our core values, priorities, and spiritual growth, Dee

Please join me for a special Zoom meeting open to all women in WFS. We are
meeting to celebrate the results of the Teddy Bear Challenge, to honor a
dedicated and passionate volunteer, and to learn who won a bear or a bunny
in the Class of 2024!

Be there!

Wednesday, May 15 at 8:30 PM Eastern
Featuring each doll in the Class of 2024,
the music of the 4C Songsters and a surprise guest.

Zoom Link

Hugs and Aloha,
Bunny
Board Member & Advancement Team Chair