November, 2009

Attitude — No Comments
16
Nov 09

Flexibility in Decision-Making

We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
~Joseph Campbell

I’ve been struggling with some things lately, mostly health-related, that have left me feeling very sorry for myself and thrown off track. Really getting into feeling pathetic and sorry for myself. I had to remind myself that even the best-laid plans can be turned over in a heartbeat by things you can’t control. My life is a series of ever-changing plans. Sometimes this triggers me to feel powerless, as if I have no control over what happens to me. But this is not true. There is another quote I like, that goes something like ‘you can’t control which way the wind blows but you can direct the sails’ or something like that. This is what is true. I always have choices in what I do and how I respond to life challenges.

Recovery — No Comments
11
Nov 09

Putting Yourself First

Make your own recovery the first priority in your life.
~ Robin Norwood

I love this quote because it is so pure and straight-forward, just so stunningly crystal clear that it’s almost shocking. Your recovery, from whatever it may be that is holding you back in life, should be your first priority. For someone like myself who is used to putting their needs last, this is almost like a personal permission slip to take care of myself.

Beliefs — No Comments
7
Nov 09

Are You a Trauma Magnet?

“All I ever wanted was what I have now – to be in a stable relationship and have dogs. And yet all my life I have been like a magnet for traumatic experiences.”
~Augusten Burroughs

I read this in an interview writer Augusten Burroughs did with The Independent and it struck me to my core. This used to be one of the long-held secret beliefs I had about myself: that I somehow caused or attracted all of the bad things things that happened to me. I do think that while it’s true that you often get what ‘vibe’ or whatever you put out, this comes into play when you are an adult and of sound mind.

If you are a trauma magnet, first thing is to get some therapy to help you determine if perhaps your actions as an adult might be causing or triggering bad things…and also to help you to overcome things that happened in childhood that were beyond your control or ability to influence. Patterns can be broken.