Keep at it!

[caressa]

The Language of Letting Go.
Keep at It
Keep practicing your recovery behaviors, even when they feel awkward, even when they haven't quite taken yet, even if you don't get it yet.
Sometimes it takes years for a recovery concept to move from our mind into our heart and soul. We need to work at recovery behaviors with the diligence, effort, and repeated practice we applied to codependent behaviors. We need to force ourselves to do things even when they don't feel natural. We need to tell ourselves we care about ourselves and can take care of ourselves even when we don't believe what we're saying.
We need to do it, and do it, and do it - day after day, year after year.
It is unreasonable to expect this new way of life to sink in overnight. We may have to "act as if" for months, years, before recovery behaviors become ingrained and natural.
Even after years, we may find ourselves, in times of stress or duress, reverting to old ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
We may have layers of feelings we aren't ready to acknowledge until years into our recovery. That's okay! When it's time, we will.
Do not give up! It takes time to get self-love into the core of us. It takes repeated practice. Time and experience. Lessons, lessons, and more lessons.
Then, just when we think we've arrived, we find we have more to learn.
That's the joy of recovery. We get to keep learning and growing all of our life!
Keep on taking care of yourself, no matter what. Keep on plugging away at recovery behaviors, one day at a time. Keep on loving yourself, even when it doesn't feel natural. Act as if for as long as necessary, even if that time period feels longer than necessary.
One day, it will happen. You will wake up, and find that what you've been struggling with and working so hard at and forcing yourself to do, finally feels comfortable. It has hit our soul.
Then, you go on to learn something new and better.
Today, I will plug away at my recovery behaviors, even if they don't feel natural. I will force myself to go through the motions even if that feels awkward. I will work at loving myself until I really do.


When I turn a problem over to my Higher Power today, I will let go with the confidence that all is being handled for me. After I have done all my footwork, I know the results will work out just as they are supposed to. --Ruth Fishel

[caressa]

According to this, I need to get honest and though I don't agree with the concept of what people want for this board, I do aplogize for my attitude. It isn't all about me and what I want. I don't think it should be all about other members either, it is about the newcomers and the visitors.

I am trying to conform to what you people want for this site. All I can do is share my own esh and I am sorry if that offends any of you. That is not my purpose or my aim. What I post isn't meant to be taken personal unless I direct it at you. I have a sick sense of humour and I am sorry if it offends anyone. I tend try to see the funny side of things and look for the positive insead of the negative. It is much easier to laugh at myself.

It is my wish that all would share their experience, strength and hope and it hasn't been my intention to offend anyone by sharing mine. It is how I work my program. I was told I have to give it away in order to keep it. I am sorry if you feel that I don't have it to give and that I don't share what you want to hear.

Let us agree to disagree and everyone try to share what is important to them. I can't apologize for having time on my hands and a sleep disorder, but now that my sites are operating again, I now have an outlet to share the material I receive and will post it there. You are invited to visit me there.

[SunnyGirl]

Thank you for sharing .......

Not every post on these boards will touch every heart
in the same way..... Not everyone has the same funny
bone, what I might laugh at might cause others to go
hummmmm.

In 12 step recovery we are all equals..... There are no
boss', we are all worker bees, only no queen.
We give what we can, when we can! Our main goal?
To help the newcommer.... Reaching out to those still
suffering.....

I'd like to thank you, for reaching out....
Your style may not be just exactly what some need!
But tomorrow someone may stop by and it might be
just exactly what they needed to hear.

Keep the faith, it will get easier.....

Your friend in recovery, Cherie

[caressa]

I know what you mean. My sponsor said you can find out two things, "How to work your program and how not to work your program." My service sponsor told me that it was a wonder I didn't drive everyone out of AA because if I was as hard on sponsees as I was on myself, they wouldn't want to stick around. A lot of people say, "I want what you have." Many are not willing to go the length I went to get it.

Relapses was never an option. Stay clean was essential and I was willing to go to any length to stay that way. I was one of the really sick ones. It is hard for anyone to know just how bad I was. I have one fear. I have often said, "I hope I never get to a stage in my recovery where I don't want to go to meeting." It isn't so much I don't want, but I am not always able. I have heard of so many who have relapsed and come back in say: "I quit going to meetings. I stopped working the Steps. I got busy being busy and I forgot where I came from."