Once the honey moon is over, life can become a bore. Eh...that doesn't really work here. Well, maybe. The honey moon was a liberating feeling that I finally broke free from years of drug and alcohol abuse.
Now comes the hard work. I have to figure out how to have fun, or how to get relaxed, or how to be sociable. Amp put it best...I have to figure out who I am.
I'm beginning to see that it really doesn't take much effort as much as it takes experience or trial and error. It takes time. Of course I am steering the ship better than before. But I don't have to try so hard to have fun. I don't have to try so hard to be relaxed or to be sociable.
It all depends on my mood. When my mood is poor, I often don't realize it. Takes a little bit for me to see I'm making things worse for myself. When I come to that realization, taking 10-15 minutes, or even 1 minute to close my eyes and feel what I'm feeling. I try to soak it in. Try to figure out what's behind it. HALT maybe? Then I decide...does it have to be this way? Of course not. Then I take a deep breath, open my eyes, put a smile on, then fake it till I make it.