Friends

It’s the little things

Hi my name is Mike 5 Comments

Last night was a great lesson in doing the steps even when they seem small and not important.  It was 15 minutes before bedtime and I was kind of feeling a little bit off.  Some of the mini-cravings were in the back of my head and it was like they were saying, “Just look up one photo that’s totally safe.  There’s nothing wrong with that.”  Except I knew that was a big fat lie!  The next thought was, “I should probably do a 10th step real quick.”  Followed by, “Nah, I’m headed to bed right now.  The night is almost up and I can muscle through this.”  Then something else clicked in my head and said, “Uh, how many times have you been down this road and you know you HATE the destination!”

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The power of serving others

Hi my name is Mike 2 Comments

There is a power that comes to me whenever I am in the service of others with no thought to my own self and whether or not I am “getting something” out of the experience.  It is the purest kind of love.  It is what lifts others as well as ourselves at the same time.  Service unlocks in me the ability to let go of the darkness and pain of my own struggles for a brief period of time.  Service helps us look outward instead of inward.  Unfortunately, even trying to do something noble like serving others I can over do things — I get caught up in creating complexity where simplicity would suffice.  I start out with no expectations but sometimes that changes and I lose the selflessness of the act.  Or maybe I over do the amount of service I’m trying to provide and instead of lifting me and providing peace to my life, it creates anxiety and stress (I’m convinced my therapist thinks this is some sort of strange super power that I have!).   Continue reading →

The Power of Support

Hi my name is Mike 2 Comments

One of the most important things I stress to new people who come to our 12 step program for the first time is to join our support group afterwards — you’ll make friends, you’ll be able to ask questions and get answers, you’ll get contact info, and be able to text or call each other throughout the week.  Most importantly though, you’ll stop feeling alone because you’ll no longer be alone!  Having our support group has made all of the difference in the world for each one of us. Continue reading →