Recovery ~ One Step at a Time
In one way or another, we are all recovering from something, whether it is an addiction, an illness, a death, or a relationship. The one thing that all recoveries have in common is the fact that is a process. I am going to repeat that word one more time for emphasis.
PROCESS!
Temporary solutions and skipping steps to get ahead will not lead to a full recovery.
No matter how badly we want to recover overnight, going through the process and the journey is just as important as the end goal. It is the ONLY way we will truly reach the end goal - full recovery.
So many folks want to skip the work and get immediately to the end of the story. If this were to happen, you would miss the 'meat' of the story ~ and in the end will not have learned any of the lessons meant to be.
We all have our own ways of grieving and coming to terms with what is going on around us. Every day I work with people who are on the road to discovering who they are at the core ~ people who are recovering from death of loved ones, ending of relationships, addictions and self-sabotaging behaviors, trauma, and victimization.
Here are some guidelines I share with clients to help them along their path of self-discovery and recovery:
1) Everything you feel is valid. The first stop on the road to recovery is accepting that there is something to recover from.
Accountability.
2) Baby steps. Be gentle with yourself on the days you need to be. No one expects you to be a superhero. There is NO time frame for recovery. We all adjust differently.
Compassion.
3) Do not be afraid to ask for help. Build yourself a solid support system. Choose those that lift you up versus bring you down.
Cheerleaders.
4) Listen to yourself. Whether your recovery is emotional, mental, or physical it is important to listen to the signals that your body or mind is trying to send you.
Awareness.
5) Do not manifest your fears. Recovery is a learning process, whether you are learning how to walk, how to love, or how to hold your head up high with confidence. Everything worthwhile is created through a process.
Connection.
6) Self-Care. Take care of yourself first. When you care for yourself, the cup will runneth over. When you put others needs before your own, you become depleted. Being in service is about doing so with love, not resentment because you are worn out.
Love Thyself.
It is important for you to take the time to work on yourself. Take EVERY opportunity to learn. Stop pretending that everything is OK ~ open up to someone who is able to assist you on working to close old doors and open new ones.
Before you teach yourself how to walk again, you must learn how to stand on your own two feet. You must learn how to step over obstacles that might get in your way without falling back down. Eventually, you’ll learn how to run or even dance. But even when you’re dancing, never let yourself forget how you taught yourself to stand back up.