Originally Posted by
Weasel1966 
All healing is essentially a release from fear. In our case recovering from drinking and drugs is learning not to fear our own thoughts. Holding onto fear mongering meaningless statements like the ones we hear all too often just fan the fear that our thoughts will eventually come and get us.
The less I fear my own thoughts and choose to think over them the less I also fear life and sobriety.
This is a great opener, Ken! So much good stuff.
I find all of the above to be true for myself and my recovery as well.
There certainly is a place for fear in the human brain, and that's to alert us to potential danger, but once we get that alert message, we have this amazing brain that's able to work with that and interpret and discern, and then to toss out what is unnecessary or superfluous information.
And so it is in my best interest to cast aside this fear that can sabotage my efforts and my peace of mind. How do I do this? First, by becoming aware that I am afraid. And then, by being mindful. In being mindful, I am aware of these thoughts and feelings, but I am not acting on them or being controlled by them in any way. They are just there, sitting there, like fallen leaves from a tree. I can bend down, pick one up, examine it, without it compromising me in any way. And then, I can toss it, and walk away onto something else. That is how I can handle any fear or intruding or disturbing thoughts ... including the AV!
Thoughts and feelings arise, but they don't make the ultimate judgement call.