BEYOND SURVIVAL
June 6, from “Strengthening My Recovery” daily reader
”By moving beyond survival, we realize that lost dreams or wishes can reemerge.” BRB p. 429
“We ask our Higher Power to help us realize our true potential by discovering our True Selves – the ones we were meant to be. We live in the moment, finding both the strength to be gentle with ourselves and the insight to recognize when we are being critical of ourselves or others.
ACAs Solution tells us we can restage our childhood by being our own loving parent. What a healthy sounding way to change the effects of growing up in an alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional home. These beautiful words fill us with hope that there is indeed a way to reparent ourselves out of the shame, fear and emotional pain ingrained in our being.
As we put these words into action, we learn to be gentle with ourselves, alleviating much of our self-imposed stress. We touch base with and nurture our Inner Child, finding that this is time well spent. We come to understand that we cannot truly love others until we can love ourselves. This becomes a recovery goal that we practice daily. We give ourselves gentle positive affirmations. We know the seed of love was planted in our souls by our Higher Power, and our True Selves will allow that love to grow and flourish.
On this day I will connect with my Inner Child to recapture a positive memory or dream, and live it as an adult. However small this dream or memory seems, I recognize its impact on making me a new person.”
My Experience:
For me, beyond survival is learning how to dream again, learning how to have fun again, learning to live a better life. What does that look like? It looks like me sitting down and actually allowing myself to dream, letting my mind wander and believing that I can live a life beyond my wildest dreams. It looks like me saying yes to things that could be fun and allowing myself to enjoy them. It looks like loving people and using things, not the other way around, and allowing me to be loved and not used. It also looks like me having the courage and trust to unhide from things and/or people that could possibly hurt me and enjoying them to the fullest and dealing with the pain if it actually comes. This is the path to living a more fulfilling life. Join me!!
Unhide
Heard in a meeting one night and it was said with such a beam
Today, I live a life beyond my wildest dreams
There is fear and exhilaration in that statement you see
I wonder would it would take to be blessed by me
Thinking about it brought serious panic to my belt
Courage is the thing that would make it all melt
But where does one start as I am unsure about that
The serenity prayer due to suffering from its lack
Because some become gladiator’s and falsely emit
Others take it on the chin wherever they sit
Still others are very easily led astray
While the rest just exist every single day
Something extraordinary I think is wanted by all
They just don’t know how and worry about the walks fall
To keep upright though, takes faith and desire
Sometimes the walk includes coals of fire
So I say, unhide from your failures of the past
Unhide from previous loves that didn’t last
Unhide from the opinions that others might think
Unhide from those stares that in the past would sink
Unhide from all the materialistic things
Unhide and show that your heart does
sing
Unhide and take a step back to reassess
Unhide and determine that your needs will be addressed
For your particular journey these are needed by all
To ensure stability as you step outside the box and not fall
Remember as you enter the abyss and attempt to exit the other side
It’s imperative that you have the courage and faith to unhide.
Blog: www.bkcoates.com
Instagram: bkcoates
Facebook: brian coates
Twitter: @cornbread182