April 30

"Try to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud.” Maya Angelou

On a cloudy day like today it can be easy for me to forget what the warmth of the sun feels like on my skin. I can all too easily relate to the grey skies, reflecting that dreary atmosphere in my own mood. I need to make a conscious effort to realize that I do not need to be a victim to my circumstances. I am not obligated to automatically imitate my surroundings. Rather, I can choose to remember that the sun is still there, however there is simply an obstacle between me and those rays of light. Certainly it's not a barrier that I can remove, but it doesn't change the fact that I have the choice to focus on what is in the way, or my belief and faith that the sun is still there doing its job. This is where my own determination and discipline comes into play. It is easy to do the right things when things are going well, harder when they are not. But it is in the consistency and persistence of my actions that I build resolve and character. Further, where I start my day from, the base attitudes and perceptions I choose to hold onto, affects my interactions with others. If I am being positive, looking for the silver lining in the grey clouds above, I am more likely to be open and willing to be of service, to offer a helping hand or empathetic ear, and to be that rainbow in someone else's cloud.

Affirmation

My own attitude heading into today will have a great influence on my interactions with others so let me choose to be positive no matter the external circumstances.

January 6

”Difficulties increase the nearer we get to the goal.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This is true in several aspects in my life at the moment. I see it in my workplace as my current project is heading to a close. Even with months of careful planning, trying to put a concept into place has met with numerous unforeseen challenges. It is also true in my personal life. It is true of my efforts to close a chapter in my life and to open a new one. It is also true of my venture to share my meditations with others. In the past, finding the road before me blocked by an obstacle of any size would have been motivation enough to turn to the poor choices of my addiction. These days, there are moments when I feel that familiar pull, but only for a short while. Instead, I am more often full of the desire to overcome the challenge before me, to press on and to reach the goal that I have in mind. This to me is one of the best signs of the progress I have made. Goals used to be something I set up so that I would have a reason to fail, and a reason to seek the solace of my addictive behaviours. I am thankful that they now serve a higher purpose, to push me further, to make me strive to be better, and to find solutions. And hopefully, this is all work to propel me along the path of my Higher Power.

Affirmation Recovery is less about changing what happens around me, but how I react to it instead.