November 6

”Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.” Arthur Golden

I used to think Utopia would be a world where everything was perfect, where there was no conflict, only peace, harmony and love. Somewhere along the way, I have come to believe that if such a place existed, well at least on Earth, I think it would be simply boring, dull and dreary. I honestly think that part of being human, perhaps even the essence of humanity, is our need to struggle and to challenge the norm. Our brief history in the universe is evidence to support this theory. Humans have continued to fight the wave, to go against popular belief, to explore, discover, invent, and hypothesize. Yet as we discover more about the world around us, I also see a trend in us turning more inward, in a growing movement of people to look deeper within ourselves. I do think certain cultures and pockets of society have done this for some time, but it seems to be a more common thread. The difficulties that I face in life, the “dark” or bad times of my life have often been the more powerful catalysts that have helped me to better understand myself. This is a primary focus of my recovery journey. It is a goal to look not only in the mirror to see the real me, but to deeply seek to know the entire being that I am through introspection, investigation, experimentation, meditation and experience. This is not only for me to better cope with my addiction, but to help me develop new traits, characteristics and tools to deal with life in new and better ways, to change some of the fundamental aspects of me that have been flawed for many years. Bring on the adversity!

Affirmation

Challenge is a chance for change. Let me be willing to know myself intimately.