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Thu, Jul 16, 2009 08:42:49 AM


μ i learned to recognize low self-esteem early in my recovery μ
posted: Thu, Jul 16, 2009 08:42:49 AM

 

some days i may feel that my feelings of inferiority were where all my problems began. of course some days i do not, and that is how it goes. i could stop right there, but this morning i heard a bit more, when i took the time to actually listen. i am running around trying to get a boat load of stuff completed before this day ends, and of course, as a result, i cannot center very well, and find myself doing the same things over and over again. as a result of all this frantic behavior, i was quite tempted just to phone this in, HOWEVER, i need to take the time and space to allow myself to understand what it was i heard, when i spent the microsecond to listen to what i read.
okay now that i have stepped back and taken a breather, what i heard and what i feel today, is that when i was active in my addiction, i took already battered self-esteem, to an all time low. i may not have consciously told myself i was worthless, but i certainly did not believe that i was worth a whole lot of effort to make myself better. i deluded myself into thinking that i was just FINE the way i was, and although change may have been necessary, it was not desired. when the substances were removed, all of a sudden i was finally capable of seeing what i had become, and in those bleak days of early recovery, i never had any hope of getting any better, emotionally and as a person. i saw those who had gone before, and although they appeared to be better, they still exercised behaviors that i was intimately acquainted with, and ones i was no longer willing to engage in. i had forgotten that they too, were humans, and still suffered from the human condition of being less than perfect. as i progressed through that first set of steps, way back when, i slowly came to the realization that low self-esteem was among my issues, and if i wanted to get any better, i would have to discover a new method of treating myself. part of that realization was an awakening to the fact that although those who went before me, still slipped into undesirable behavior, they were doing their best, and that all that was ever asked of me was to do likewise, to do my best to apply these principles in my life and learn to live the program on a daily basis.
coming to believe that i was worth doing the work necessary to become a fully-realized person was a cinch after that, and my belief system about my personal recovery is built upon that realization. not that i am some paragon of self-esteem today, but most of the time i do believe i am worthy of doing whatever i need to do, to maintain my life in recovery and as a byproduct, my life in the real world. so, with that it is time to go to the dentist and get on with my day, refreshed from a moment to myself and the denizens of the cyber-world.

∞ DT ∞

 

djtConsulting Brand
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.

Another Look!

self-worth: an inside job 343 words ➥ Friday, July 16, 2004 by: donnot
μ coming to believe μ 184 words ➥ Saturday, July 16, 2005 by: donnot
∞ with the help of other members who share our same feelings, and by working the twelve steps ∞ 419 words ➥ Sunday, July 16, 2006 by: donnot
∞ low self-esteem does not go away overnight. ∞ 431 words ➥ Monday, July 16, 2007 by: donnot
∞ somewhere along the way, i developed strong feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. ∞ 410 words ➥ Wednesday, July 16, 2008 by: donnot
ℵ whether i learned low self-esteem in my family or through my interactions with others ℵ 437 words ➥ Friday, July 16, 2010 by: donnot
∃ deep inside, i had feelings of inadequacy and inferiority ∃ 537 words ➥ Saturday, July 16, 2011 by: donnot
♥ i remember that i deserve everything that ♥ 416 words ➥ Monday, July 16, 2012 by: donnot
⇑ by working the Twelve Steps, i can become the sort of individual ⇑ 619 words ➥ Tuesday, July 16, 2013 by: donnot
¡ i sometimes feel that my feelings of inferiority ! 613 words ➥ Wednesday, July 16, 2014 by: donnot
℘ i know that ℘ 609 words ➥ Thursday, July 16, 2015 by: donnot
⪡ whom others and, ⪢ 810 words ➥ Saturday, July 16, 2016 by: donnot
🏲 feelings of 🏱 491 words ➥ Sunday, July 16, 2017 by: donnot
🍒 self-esteem, 🍒 347 words ➥ Monday, July 16, 2018 by: donnot
🕱 you are worthless 🕱 436 words ➥ Tuesday, July 16, 2019 by: donnot
🤬 reclaiming myself 🤬 464 words ➥ Thursday, July 16, 2020 by: donnot
🤐 deep inside 🤐 464 words ➥ Friday, July 16, 2021 by: donnot
💱 worthless 💱 358 words ➥ Saturday, July 16, 2022 by: donnot
🗣 listening 👂 568 words ➥ Sunday, July 16, 2023 by: donnot
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge

Book 2

2) The great Tao (or way) is very level and easy; but people love
the by-ways.