Recovery Can Be a Life Long Scavenger Hunt
I've come to understand with my own experience that "One Size" does not fit all when it comes to clothes, diet, exercise, or recovery. For me I had to forge the path one step at a time. Becoming lost didn't happen overnight, and learning to live life differently than I had always lived was probably as significant as moving a mountain.
Mental chatter was and is still one of the biggest challenges most people face. My first lesson was to prove to myself there was much more going on than I had ever imagined. Instead of being in a constant numbed state, I woke up. It happened all at once, and it started with one little thing that made sense. I was seeing and hearing things differently. Instead of despair and hopelessness, I somehow knew being alive was not only important, but that it mattered whether I lived or died. Just like you!
You not only matter, but finding your way to recovery is a giant step in a useful direction. Some people get it and some people don't. Here are a few things that significantly helped me in the beginning and even today.
Tools that help when life becomes complicated.
Pay attention to simple things. You might be concerned or worried and you turn on the radio and hear something inspiring or your favorite song.
Find people that celebrate you, and are happy when you succeed.
Learn for yourself that when you are ready for recovery than nothing can stop you. Not a person, place, thing, or situation can divert your success. Nothing!
Pick up a book and flip it open and see for yourself that there will be a word or a phrase that will remind you to never give up. The goal is not only flipping the book open, but awakening the seeker within you that matters.
When I was little and allowed to go on a scavenger hunt with the teenagers, I loved it! It was so much fun. It only happened once, but now it happens daily. Moment by moment and step by step, I follow the clues and nudges that awaken the deepest connection I have to all that is.
Happy Hunting!