Recovery Enthusiast/ Recovery for Women

The average person avoids challenges like he’s avoiding the plague. Struggling isn’t enjoyable, so it’s natural to avoid it as much as possible. There’s an issue with this strategy: There’s a lot to be gained from struggling.   There are many aspects to humans that are anti-fragile, meaning that stress makes them stronger.   For example:   ●       Exercise is a stressor that delivers positive benefits. ●       Being hot or cold, within reason, is good for your health. ●       Fasting is beneficial. Struggling is similar in that it makes you better than you were before the struggle.   Benefits of struggling:   You learn a lot about yourself when you struggle. You don’t learn a lot about yourself while you’re watching a movie for the fifth time from your couch. When life is easy, you have a natural tendency to coast. Any struggle is a test of your will, ingenuity, and p...

  I get up quickly when I fall because my strength is determined by my resolve to move forward, regardless of setbacks. When I am determined to succeed, a simple fall only fuels my drive. No matter how many times I fall, I wipe the dust off my knees and carry on.   Sometimes in my walk, I may stumble, which sets me back. But a minor stumble may prevent me from falling. When I stumble, I hold on to the lessons that I have learned in the past to help me stand strong once again.   Hope stays with me when I fall because when I hit the ground, the only direction to go is up. I can look forward to tomorrow because I will enter the day with new wisdom. My vision stays close to my heart even if I have to make adjustments to my plans.   I keep my dignity when I fall because my true character is revealed at the lowest point. Even when I have made a mistake, I continue to be an intelligent person worthy of admiration and respect.   Without overanalyzing my mista...

  What would your life look like if you were free from worrying about the opinions of others? What if seeking the approval of other people failed to enter your mind? How would it change your life? Our lives are negatively influenced by the fear of rejection. It holds us back in so many ways and limits our ability to experience the positive aspects of life.   Consider these ideas to banish your fear of rejection:   1.      Rejection is largely a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you’re constantly worried about rejection, it changes the way you act. You become anxious and defensive. Those actions may cause you to be rejected by others. After all, who wants to spend time with someone who’s unpleasant to be around?   ·        Consider how this fear is affecting your behavior. Are you acting in a way that’s causing others to reject you?   2.      Focus on how you want to feel. Most peo...

Not a morning person? Would you like to get up earlier and feel more productive? Would you like to feel more in control of your day? Developing a morning routine that will boost your productivity can help you stay on top of your commitments for the day. I was never a morning person. For years I worked the second shift and my kids were grown and out of the house so I did have a need or the ambition to get up early let alone be productive in the morning. Then I switched to the first shift so I could go to school at night. So I not only needed to wake up earlier I needed to get a lot of stuff done in a day and had to plan my day wisely. So I started slowly and got into a routine. Then I decided to develop my own online course online.  Not to mention the time with family and self-care, both of which I feel are so important. Over time I became very good at time management and making good use of my time. I now wake up at 4 AM (I know, right?!) so I can fit in my meditation time and work...

  In talking about self-esteem, one of the components is competency. Competence is defined as having the ability to navigate life's challenges, to think, understand, learn, and make decisions. I think we get stuck because we feel incapable of doing things or incapable of asking for help. Maybe there was a time when we had people doing things for us, and although they were doing it out of love, they were not helping us build capabilities for ourselves. As a counselor, in the field of addiction, over the years, I have found one of the best things I can do for my clients is to have them do things for themselves, whether that be calling their doctors to make appointments or setting up a new provider. Having them set up and follow through on interviews with job placements, having them call their POs to check-in, let them know where they are, etc. Sometimes we feel that we are incapable of doing tasks, and when we ask for help, we get upset when people won't do it for us. I remember ...