A Note of Encouragement To...Anyone.

I originally was going to write a note of encouragement to those who are battling addiction and fighting to stay sober, but I decided that addition and substance abuse is not the only ailment out there needing encouragement.

We all do.
We are all at battle with ourselves.

We are all addicts, depressed, coping with anger problems, battling eating disorders, acting out of control, gluttonous, materialistic, greedy, etc. The list is long, and more then likely, we are all more than one of these.

Photo: Recii Davis

We are all also beautiful, happy, encouraging, delightful, graceful, thankful, hopeful, extraordinary, loving, caring, and helpful creatures.

“You are not IN the universe, you ARE the universe, an intrinsic part of it. Ultimately you are not a person, but a focal point where the universe is becoming conscious of itself. What an amazing miracle.”

 - Eckhart Tolle

We are all connected and so chances are, what you struggle with, someone close to you also does. Sharing your stories of triumph as well as grief are important for overcoming. 

I have been over a year sober now, and have stopped counting the days, weeks, and even months. If you ask me "how long," I have to stop and think about it. Up until my 1 year, I knew how many weeks I had been sober. I've moved on from anything that has to do with alcohol, even an emphasis on sobriety.

I have filled my life with other things, and being sober has become who I am now; I don't even have to think about it. 

Many people move on from the act of drinking, abusing a substance, abusing others or themselves, but the thought remains with them every minute of every day, and so there is still a sense of imprisonment to the previous habit. (In yoga/Hindu culture, these impressions are known as "samskaras", i.e. karma from a past life). There is still imbalance, because even though you have quit drinking, you are now so focused on your sobriety that it can make you insane. For a bit of time after I quit drinking, I got a little out of control with the thought of staying sober. "Will I? Will I? Will I?" Those though patterns are maddening! This time, I have been fortunate enough to have learned how to become neutral to alcohol and sobriety. I find balance between the two by simply living in the moment.

Letting go of drinking, and then letting go of obsessing about staying sober has created the space I need.

So, whatever you are battling with, the magic is in letting go and making space in your life for you. You are an incredible creature and deserve the love you are capable of giving yourself.