Brotherhood in the Desert: Reflections from the Samson Summit This past Friday afternoon, I flew into Albuquerque, New Mexico to meet a few friends. I’ve been in the mountains of Tennessee and Colorado, but this was my first time seeing the desert mountains. The beauty of the area took my breath away. After meeting aContinue reading “Brotherhood in the Desert”
Tag Archives: freedom
Questions in Recovery
Most of us enter recovery searching for answers. We want to know why we did what we did, how to fix it, and when life will start feeling normal again. We want clear steps, guaranteed outcomes, and certainty that all the pain will finally make sense. But recovery rarely begins with answers—it begins with questions. Learning to ask honest questions isContinue reading “Questions in Recovery”
Perfectionism in Recovery: The Trap of “Doing It Right”
I have written before about how perfectionism plays out in our addiction, but perfectionism doesn’t vanish when we begin recovery—it often tags along, hiding behind our desire to “get better.” For many of us, it shows up as the same voice that once said, “You have to hold it all together.” In recovery, that voice shifts to, “You’dContinue reading “Perfectionism in Recovery: The Trap of “Doing It Right””
Staying Grounded Through The Holidays
For many people, November and December are described as “the most wonderful time of the year.” But for those of us in recovery, this season can bring a mix of emotions—some joyful, some painful, and some downright overwhelming. The holidays disrupt routine. Meetings get missed. Sleep and eating patterns change. Suddenly, you’re spending more timeContinue reading “Staying Grounded Through The Holidays”
Give It Away
You can’t keep it unless you give it away A yearlong Baltimore study of 500 former and current heroin and cocaine injection users found that having a sponsor in NA or AA did not result in much of a change in long term recovery. On the other hand, the study found that being a sponsorContinue reading “Give It Away”
Boredom
I was in a group recently where the topic of conversation was boredom. It’s rare to come across someone today that doesn’t struggle with it. What I find interesting is that most opinions of the cause seem to revolve around a lack of stimulation. This is obviously a real cause of boredom but in myContinue reading “Boredom”
Gladness
Gladness. Last year I had the privilege of officiating my oldest daughter’s wedding. Long before the day, I sat with my daughter and soon to be son-in-law as we worked on the outline for the ceremony. As we talked about what they wanted, who would be in the wedding with them and other associated thingsContinue reading “Gladness”
Guilt
Guilt is a feeling that can produce tremendous good in our lives if it is recognized and processed in a healthy way. Guilt allows us to recognize that we have done something wrong, we have caused harm, we have hurt someone. Let me start with a story from this past week. Wednesday was a difficultContinue reading “Guilt”
Shame
Shame is a feeling of embarrassment or humiliation that comes from the belief that we have done something dishonorable or immoral, or that we have fallen short in our own eyes or in the eyes of someone whose opinion is important to us. The effects of shame can last hours or maybe days but willContinue reading “Shame”
Easter Sunday
I’m taking a break from my series on feelings to post something I wrote a few years ago on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. It’s a lot longer than what I usually post and it may not speak to anyone but me. I’m sitting at my normal spot for a Saturday morning. It’sContinue reading “Easter Sunday”