September 18

”Great tranquility of heart is his who cares for neither praise nor blame.” Thomas Kempis

When I think of serenity, the picture that comes to mind is that of looking at a lake, just as the sun rises, on a windless day, where the water glows like a sheet of glass in the warm golden glow of the sun. Nothing disturbs its surface; it is perfectly still and balanced. It is this state of calmness I seek in my meditation, to be at rest, to be a center of tranquility in the midst of the perturbations of the world around me. To be at peace with myself, to have my thoughts, actions and emotions in harmony and balance. It is the moments of recognizing all that is happening around me, but being aware that I have to do nothing more than notice, no further action on my part is required. This practice has helped me enormously deal with my cravings and the pull of my addiction. It has taught me to be aware of my triggers, to recognize them and to be able to say to my addict “Oh, that’s nice, but I am not interested” and let the thought pass right on by, and then continue on with whatever it was I was doing.

Affirmation I am amazed by the freedom I have gained by increasing my self-awareness. Finding my peace within has enabled me to keep the chaos of addiction away.