Creating A Picture of Lifestyle Recovery

Series Two: Blog Ninety

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau

The holiday season is a time to reflect and contemplate. I want to challenge you to consider deepening your commitment to lifestyle recovery from addiction behavior. Create a picture of what you would like your lifestyle recovery to look like. Someone once said that what you think about expands. It’s the very property of thought. If you think about what is missing in your recovery life, that is what expands. However, if you focus on what you have, that is what expands. I implore you to do both. Garner the growth that you have attained while considering what is missing so that you can create a clear picture of the life you want to live.

Carefully detail the kind of person you want to become. Consider the following questions that are designed to help you clarify your picture of recovery.

• What do you value more than anything else?  ___________________________
• What priorities are most important to you as a result of your recovery?  ________________________________________________________________
• What are the characteristics of recovery and life at large that you admire and hold dear and would like to represent who you are?  ________________________________________________________________
• What kind of relationship qualities would you like present in your friendships, family and business?  ______________________________________________
• What attributes would you want to share with someone you identify as a confidant?  ______________________________________________________
• How do you want to relate to your family of origin as a result of your perspective and commitment to recovery?  _____________________________
• How do you see yourself managing the following feelings as a result of your recovery? (anger, sadness, fear, arrogance, insecurities, anxiety, resentments and shame).  _____________________________________________________
• How do you see yourself managing money, power and position in life differently as a result of your recovery?  _______________________________
• How do you want your recovery life to impact your desire to control situations and other people?  ________________________________________________
• What kind of boundaries will you need to set with significant others, friends, family and business contacts?  _______________________________________
• What kind of spiritual person do you want to become?  _________________
• Who do you need to make peace and amends with and how will you do this?  ________________________________________________________________
• What attitudes about life do you value?  _____________________________
• What kind of service do you value and see yourself participating in?  ______
• What recovery legacy do you want to leave for the next generation?  ________________________________________________________________
• To what extent are you willing to do whatever it takes to make your picture come true?  ______________________________________________________

Step 2 asks that we “come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves will restore us to sanity”.  Believe is an Anglo-Saxon word that means to “live in accordance with”. Believe is an action word. You may declare that you believe one thing but your actions are something different. In truth, mistaken beliefs sabotage recovery.  List the mistaken beliefs that have prevented you from completing your picture of lifestyle recovery. Then reframe the mistaken belief to a self-empowering belief that would inspire you to create your picture of lifestyle recovery.

Mistaken Belief                                      Reframed Inspired Belief

1.____________________________             1.______________________

2._________________________                    2.______________________

3._________________________                    3.______________________

4._________________________                    4.______________________

5.________________________ _                    5.______________________

Someone once said that “attitude is more important than the facts”. In order for you to create the picture of recovery you would like, you must examine your past and present attitudes about recovery. List attitudes you think are most important in order for you to create your picture of recovery.

1.____________________________

2.____________________________

3.____________________________

4.____________________________

5.____________________________

Socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living”. When it is all said and done, the picture that shapes your destiny is up to you. During this sacred season, take time to carefully examine your picture and fill in what is missing. Happy Holidays!