Quote:
Originally Posted by oldveteran  ...how important "skills" has been to your recovery.
Also how important has it been to you to see yourself as a "human being" again.
Have you used a mentor? not a sponsor, but say a person in the business world whom you respect and admire.
What do you think? does any of this make sense to you? |
The skills i have learned to put the time and effort to develope come from the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of a spiritual program. i have lived a long time adapting myself to what was expected or required of me by society, employers, and such. i spent so much time doing that that i forgot my own humanity. As i relearn what it is to be "ME", i find a new joy in living my life being considerate of others, acknowledging how my actions affect others, and how to stand firm on what truly works for me. As i rediscover myself, God, and society; i find a new freedom from not demanding things always go my way or/and having unrealistic expectations with everyone involved (including myself!). i take specific direction from my sponsor, but i also allow others to guide me in my recovery. Those that have faced situations sucessfully are those best qualified to help me. They may seem like like my mentors, but i just call them friends. They are very important to me and that's why i listen to them. There have been times in my life where i have sought 'professional' help, but all they ever did was focus on the apparent symptoms of my problems. As an addict, i need other recovering addicts who genuinely know what it's like to be an addict and who are living the way i really want to live. A life free from active addiction, a life that depends on a Higher Power called God, and a life that i am extremely grateful for.
That being said; communication skills were the first to be put aside when i was using. i lost touch with the needs of others as i was plowing through life running on self-will. i felt the pain from doing this and tried to isolate myself so i would not do as much harm. i became "locked and loaded" without even realizing it. Fear took root and ran my life in combination with resentment, arrogance, and anger. i became less God centered and every ability to be spiritual was laid aside in my efforts to get what i wanted when i wanted it. i caused alot of harm to those who couldn't get away fast enough, but most of all, i harmed myself. i fell into habits and patterns that i could not escape from on my own. The result was that i could not and would not take care of myself the way God had intended. My priorities became confusing and i lost direction for a long time. My emotional well being was twisted into self-destruction, my spiritual condition became decayed, and my mental clarity got lost in intellectual superiority.
The Twelve Steps help restore me to myself, to a relationship with God, and to the rest of society.
The Twelve Traditions help me to put spiritual principles first in dealing with myself and others.
i applaud your dedication to help those who come into your life!! i am grateful to have spent this bit of time with you finding out about your efforts and sacrifices!! Keep the faith strong and our hearts will always rejoice!!