April 6

"Learn to pause...or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.” Doug King

Being still and quiet is not a natural thing for me. I am more often an human doing rather than a human being. However, I am grateful that my recovery program is teaching me the necessity and benefits of slowing down. I am learning that I need not fill every moment of every day with some task. Simply being present is an equally important and rewarding thing for me to do. Self-awareness is a gift in and of itself. I believe that my Higher Power is constantly offering me signs of the path I am to take, His Will. But if I never pause, never stop to listen or look for His signals, how can I expect to know what it is? This is one of the key benefits of taking these regular breaks in my day. Another time when these moments of reflection are useful is near the end of the day. Taking a few minutes to review my day, my Step 10 stock-taking, are also a good way to look at my accomplishments, challenges, and blessings. I am starting a routine of generating a list of five to ten things I am grateful for to share with my sponsor to note the positives of my day.

Affirmation

Slow down, breathe, be present in the moment. This is a tool I will practice today to maintain my calm, serenity and find peace in the busyness of the world.

May 2

”Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each vantage point.” Harold B. Melchart

I am reminded of the saying about how to eat an elephant. Each day in recovery can seem daunting, like climbing a mountain – or even moving one. Not only is it important for me to remember to eat life one bite at a time, but it is equally important that I savour each morsel.  My day will be filled with ups and downs, and mainly due to events outside my control. Yet I can take regular pauses to “enjoy the view.” Stepping back to reflect can help me to learn from each situation, take a quick inventory of my thoughts and feelings, and even give a quick show of gratitude for the lessons I have learned and things I am improving on. Then I can move on to whatever is next. When I can divide my day into smaller and more manageable pieces, it is easier to digest than trying to tackle it all at once. Planning regular sanity breaks gives me the chance to recharge my batteries and then take on the new challenges that lay before me.

Affirmation I will take today a slice at a time. I will also give myself regular breaks to breathe, pause, reflect and recharge before taking on something else.