October 12

”Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.” Sarah Bernhardt

This is certainly a truth as I have focused not only on recovery in the past year and a half, but on taking better care of myself at all levels, mind, body, and soul. Reincorporating regular exercise is an expenditure of energy that has created more energy for me on a daily basis. I am less fatigued and more motivated than before. Recovery work also breeds recovery work. There have been tools like journaling, prayer, reaching out, meditations, and affirmations that I have had to force myself to practice. Much of it was awkward and unnatural in the beginning. Yet with time and repetition, it has become something that I am more used to and, heaven forbid, even look forward to doing. I still have days when I have trouble getting started, needing to pick up a tool out of habit more than desire because I know it is good for me, and usually, somewhere in the midst of the activity I discover how good I feel and look forward to the reward of accomplishing the task at hand. It is in giving that I receive. When I feel less like doing something for myself, I can gain motivation by helping others, or simply reaching out. I need to remember to set boundaries so as not to put everyone else before myself.

Affirmation I may need to force myself to use my tools of recovery today, but creating new habits will benefit me, and those around me, in time.