I feel like being creative. But, I feel a block. I want to write, but I can’t get anything out. There’s just too many words to choose from. I tried blackout poetry and a good poem came out but I don’t have the inspiration to draw. The person who taught us said we don’t have to focus on drawing if we’re not good at it. I used to be good at it, I am no longer. I know I can regain the skill if I practice at it but I don’t even know where to start with it. I don’t…
Are you more of a night or morning person? I used to be able to be both but as I age I am tending to be more of a night person. Only because waking up seems to be getting more difficult. I find that having insomnia seems to affect me more at night than any other time. I end up staying up an hour or two later than the previous night. Fortunately, I am on sleep aids at the moment. They seem to be helping my sleep stabilize a bit. I still have some difficulty falling asleep but it’s been…
Patience A Morning of Virtue Expansion Today was busy already. We ran three different errands. Since I’m not working full-time, we went to the Salvation Army to get gas money. It’s for the trips to and from Rogers. They were able to help with $50 worth of money which was nice of them to help with. After that, we drove to the community clothes closet. It’s a place sort of like Goodwill, where people donate their old or unwanted clothing items. The difference is that the customers don’t have to pay for the clothing. It’s given for free, which I’m…
What is one thing you would change about yourself? If I could change one thing about myself, I think I would change my patience. I would like more patience. But I know from watching Oprah that when you ask God to give you something he gives it to you in mysterious ways. For example she asked for strength, so he gave her hardship. She said it made her stronger, but she was smarter about the way she asked for things. So I think instead of asking for more patience I’m going to ask for more insight. I would like more…
Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it? I don’t necessarily have a physical place that I like to go to, aside from my bedroom. I do have places I like to go to mentally when I’m in need of some peace. One of these places is by a river or lake. I’m not sure where this was but when I was a child I had a neighborhood friend who had a cottage up north. They invited me and my sister to go up north with them one time. I remember one morning waking up and…
In this reflective blog post, the author grapples with the decision to decline a New Year's Eve invitation due to being in treatment and abstaining from drinking. Despite the financial benefit of not consuming alcohol, the temptation in a drinking environment proves too challenging. On a lighter note, the post includes the etymology of the word "reneg," likely derived from "renegade," exploring its historical roots.
The best parts of shopping online are: The worst parts about shopping online are: Thank you listening to my TED talk. I ordered some Tarot cards. It’s a part of one of my SMART Goals. To develop my spirituality more. I think that’s an on-going process for life. Why did the goal break up with the New Year’s resolution? Because it wasn’t SMART enough – it needed more specific commitment! Another way I’m fulfilling this goal is by learning about Stoicism. I’m currently reading a book about it. “How,” might you ask, “is philosophy related to spiritualism?” “Well!” I might…
I wake up at 8 AM every morning. It’s tiring. LOL There was something on my mind… Oh yeah! I was listening to Christmas music. This is probably the first year in over 10 years that I’ve been in the mood for Christmas music when Christmas time is around. Normally, it isn’t until June or July that I get in the mood for Christmas, and by then it’s too late. Part of me wonders if it has anything to do with my sobriety. Oh man, am I tired. I slept well when I slept but I did not sleep the…
In therapy, we’re given a workbook. It’s a pretty large workbook. One of the portions of the book is called the Foundation. It’s early in the book however, in our group, we go through them toward the end of treatment. Before every Foundation, the therapists ask what it is. My explanation and simplest way to describe it, it is our journey through addiction. What leads us to where we are. I think other groups within Rogers will have people go through the Foundation early in their treatment because it lays the groundwork for what you’re about to work on. However,…
Today, in group we did Blackout Poetry. In case you’re unfamiliar with Blackout poetry, here’s a definition: Blackout poetry is a creative process where words are selected and arranged from existing texts to create a new poem[1]. It involves taking a piece of writing, such as a newspaper article, novel, or page from a magazine, and highlighting or “blacking out” certain words or phrases, creating a new composition from the remaining words[1]. The blacked-out words are often completely covered or colored over, leaving only the chosen words visible, which gives the poem its distinctive look[2]. The resulting blackout poem can…