April 14

"The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.” Robert Jordan

In this new normal, I am still learning, learning how to adapt, cope, survive and even thrive. I am learning things like the fact that resilience is a choice. It's not an innate talent, but something that can be and is learned, strengthened, improved. There are many things that help me to be more resilient, more effective when faced with change. The recipe isn't all that complicated nor magical. It involves taking care of the basics, proper eating, sleeping, exercise. It also involves gratitude, recognizing my blessings. It is also balance, being ok when I am not ok, recognizing that this is an acceptable state. As is often touted in the program, this too shall pass. It is about re-focusing and finding purpose and things to accomplish. In other words, resiliency boils down to making the best of whatever situation life presents to me. It is about knowing my strengths and weaknesses, seeing limitations, setting goals, and finding the places where I can turn impossible into I'm possible. This is how I can thrive, no matter what comes my way.

Affirmation

I have the ability to be resilient in the face of change, to use the skills and knowledge I possess to make it through to the other side.

May 26

”We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives, Its time for us to more than just survive, We were made to thrive.” Casting Crowns

It’s taken finding myself in recovery to realize that I spent too many of my years simply existing. I no longer accept that as good enough. Simply passing from day to day is not what I desire. I find it hard to believe that my Higher Power, who created all the wonderful and beautiful things in the world, only wants me to go through the motions of life. To thrive, to flourish, to quote Thoreau, to suck out all the marrow of life, this is what we are meant to do, how we are meant to spend our meagre time on this mortal coil. Many of the best poets and authors have found these small glimpses of truth. It is not the mundane day-to-day affairs that should be our goal, but to strive for the impossible, to seek the unreachable, to accomplish the unthinkable. Today, this minute, this moment, is a marvellous opportunity and gift for me to make the most of, to seek the small nirvana that lies within it. There are only barriers if I choose to believe they are there, only fears to hold me back of my own doing. Life is too short to be wasted on mere existence, it’s time for me to live vigorously, thrive and prosper.

Affirmation

I am blessed by so many things, but the simplest is my life, with so much potential, in a world where anything can happen.