Hi all!Greetings from the ANAD Broward County Chapter Team (left to right in this picture: Nikki, Sarah, and Lily) !!!
So we just had our latest meeting this Sunday, February 25th at our usual meeting place (Flamingo Road Church in Cooper City, FL).
It was one of our best meetings to date! We reminded each other that yes there is hope for recovery, and it is possible and awesome to have a happy, healthy and full life. But we didn't stop there, we took it further than just "hoping for someday..." It is in the healthy, positive, constructive choices we make everyday, that we can, step by step, walk our way towards full recovery...it doesn't matter how small of a step we take in the beginning, how small the goal...small steps and small goals will give us the courage to take more risks, and larger strides towards happiness, well-being and reaching our potential....
I remember that when I was just beginning my recovery, I was so scared, and used to think...how am I going to get through three meals and two snacks per day for the next 365 days of the year??? And the answer for me was: one day at a time, one meal at a time...same as we have to do in the beginning stages of many other addictions.
Are we going to make mistakes and maybe struggle sometimes? Yes, we all do! And that is ok! It's part of life! We just need to learn from our mistakes, get back up and keep on going...
Thanks so much to Jeff for visiting with us and sharing some great insight on the importance of the choices we make, the people we do life with, and to always remember that it's what's inside that counts...
Hope to see you all at our next meeting (Sunday, March 11th, 2007 at 7:00PM)...
Peace, Hope and Love,
Lily
1 comment:
Hi all. I truly enjoyed the experience of meeting you this past weekend. We shared a lot of positive thoughts. During the meeting, we talked about the idea of "it's what inside that counts". We all hear these words a lot, but how can we apply this to real life? I'm going to tell you a story that reinforces the concept that I already shared with you.
A few years ago, I went on a vacation to Japan. On the first night, I received a bracelet from one of the clubs that I visited. I never took it off during the entire trip. It was actually made of string, so I was able to keep it. That trip provided me with some of my most memorable times, including riding a bullet train, climbing Mt. Fugi and attending a sumo wrestling tournament with my closest friends.
One day after the trip, I found it on my shelf. It reminded me of friendship, adventure and all the wonderful experiences that I pursued and learned from during that time. On this day, I just felt like I wanted to wear it, despite the fact that I was about to attend a public event, where friends and colleagues would be present. So I wore it and on my way, I realized that the only person I was wearing this bracelet for was myself. It was certainly not a fashion statement, being red, yellow and orange; however, it had so much meaning to me and it made me happy. It put a smile on my face and thus I proudly displayed it for my eyes to continue to see.
A few people at the event asked me why I was wearing this piece of string. I answered, "because it was important to me and reminded me of some wonderful life experiences." Most people thought that this response was pretty cool and some were neutral about it. However, there was one guy who I knew, that kind of gave me a funny look after my explanation. Perfect, this guy just showed me his true colors. He had no concern for the meaning of my choice and its importance to me. It's importance to the "INSIDE OF ME". My choice to wear that bracelet not only made me happy, but it also helped me determine from that moment on, that I really didn't care to interact with that individual again.
This is the concept that I shared with you. Being yourself, “from the inside,” discovering who appreciates you and who doesn’t, and choosing to spend your time with those who are smiling with you because of who you are "from the inside". As Theodore Geisel (pen name Dr. Seuss) once said, "Be Who You Are And Say What You Feel Because Those Who Mind Don't Matter And Those Who Matter Don't Mind."
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