Blog entry for:

Mon, Apr 9, 2012 07:50:14 AM


∅ it is okay to feel my feelings ∅
posted: Mon, Apr 9, 2012 07:50:14 AM

 

with the help of the POWER that fuels my recovery, i am free not to act out my feelings. as i sit here on the bus, way late in getting this started, i am struck by the whole notion of negative and positive feelings. i have come a long way in my recovery and have learned that feelings are neither positive or negative, it is what i do with them that is.
part of what i learned in active addiction was that all feelings were to be medicated away or swallowed. any feelings caused me to react in an unpredictable manner and even though i loved chaos, i was supposed to be a rock and an island, impervious to the slings and arrows that life sent my way. the steps and the recovery process, continue to teach me that behavior is part of the problem and not the solution. when i allow myself to feel and yes make a human mistake or three, even in the span of a few minutes, that i am worth being forgiven, especially by myself, my harshest and cruelest critic. there are negative impulses that arise from my feelings, and removing the automatic knee-jerk reactions, is what this program has been teaching me, day in and day out.
do i want to be sick? for someone who had trouble admitting that he even had the slightest problem that is a meritorious question. the answer, simply put, is of course not BUT…
there always is a but in my head, a quick argument, justification and rationalization and that my friends is the spooky part. amazing how quickly i fall back on the buttress of the arguments that allowed me to survive my active addiction. today, i no longer need to do so, and although i am concerned about what this day will bring at work, i am also hopeful that i can live up to the challenge and thrive, after all, i am not doing this gig by myself.

∞ 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!

↔ i am free not to act out my negative feelings? ↔ 495 words ➥ Sunday, April 9, 2006 by: donnot
↔ i may feel like doing something destructive, just because i want to. i have done it before.↔  506 words ➥ Monday, April 9, 2007 by: donnot
∞ the longer i stay clean and work the program, the more freedom i experience. … 582 words ➥ Wednesday, April 9, 2008 by: donnot
μ i came to this fellowship with something less than an overwhelming desire to stop using μ 507 words ➥ Thursday, April 9, 2009 by: donnot
Δ sure, using drugs caused problems, and of course i wanted to be rid of the problems … 647 words ➥ Friday, April 9, 2010 by: donnot
¡ i am learning to experience my feelings and am starting ¡ 658 words ➥ Saturday, April 9, 2011 by: donnot
ℑ i am learning to experience feelings and ℑ 515 words ➥ Tuesday, April 9, 2013 by: donnot
℘ sooner or later, the compulsion to use ℘ 619 words ➥ Wednesday, April 9, 2014 by: donnot
¢ i wanted to be rid of the problems ¢ 675 words ➥ Thursday, April 9, 2015 by: donnot
⧝ acting out ⧝ 844 words ➥ Saturday, April 9, 2016 by: donnot
☕ not acting out  ☕ 904 words ➥ Sunday, April 9, 2017 by: donnot
🏚 something less than 🏗 736 words ➥ Monday, April 9, 2018 by: donnot
🌠 not willing 🌠 399 words ➥ Tuesday, April 9, 2019 by: donnot
🌩 feelings can 🌪 541 words ➥ Thursday, April 9, 2020 by: donnot
😈 negative feelings 😎 486 words ➥ Friday, April 9, 2021 by: donnot
🌋 i am learning 🌋 509 words ➥ Saturday, April 9, 2022 by: donnot
🤨 surrendering 🤨 471 words ➥ Sunday, April 9, 2023 by: donnot
🌁 less than 🌁 461 words ➥ Tuesday, April 9, 2024 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 1

1) Now arms, however beautiful, are instruments of evil omen, hateful,
it may be said, to all creatures. Therefore they who have the Tao
do not like to employ them.