Twenty plus 1 Healthy Ways To Manage Stress In Recovery
•Talk to someone you trust.
•Learn to accept what you cannot change.
•Avoid self medication.
•Get enough sleep to recharge your batteries.
•Take time out to play.
•Do something for others.
•Take one thing at a time.
•Agree with somebody.
•Manage your time better.
•Plan ahead.
•If you are ill, don’t try and carry on as if you’re not.
•Develop a hobby.
•Listen to music.
•Eat sensibly and exercise.
•Don’t put off relaxing.
•Don’t be afraid to say no.
•Know when you are tired and do something about it.
•Delegate responsibility.
•Be realistic about perfection
•Don’t use no matter what.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Emotions Anonymous
Twelve Steps of Emotions Anonymous
1.We admitted we were powerless over our emotions – that our lives had become unmanageable.
2.Came to believe that aPower greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3.Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4.Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5.Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6.Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7.Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8.Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9.Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10.Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11.Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12.Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
1.We admitted we were powerless over our emotions – that our lives had become unmanageable.
2.Came to believe that aPower greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3.Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4.Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5.Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6.Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7.Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8.Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9.Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10.Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11.Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12.Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Recovery~5 Finger Prayer
THUMB - The woman explained: “Before I pray, I hold my hand up in front of my face, with my thumb pointing back toward me. The thumb reminds me to pray for those closest to me–my family, my friends, my neighbours.”
INDEX FINGER – Wiggling her index finger, she continued: “Teachers used to point at us in school, so as I come to this finger, I pray for those who have been my teachers and spiritual leaders.
MIDDLE FINGER – My middle finger is the largest one. This brings to mind the leaders of our country. So I pray for them.
RING FINGER – The next finger is called the weak finger. When I come to it, I think of the weak, the sick, those who are poor and need help.”
LITTLE FINGER – Coming to the last finger-the little finger-she concluded: “Last is my little finger, which stands for me. That’s when I finish praying for myself and my needs.”
http://recoveryissexy.com/5-finger-prayer/
INDEX FINGER – Wiggling her index finger, she continued: “Teachers used to point at us in school, so as I come to this finger, I pray for those who have been my teachers and spiritual leaders.
MIDDLE FINGER – My middle finger is the largest one. This brings to mind the leaders of our country. So I pray for them.
RING FINGER – The next finger is called the weak finger. When I come to it, I think of the weak, the sick, those who are poor and need help.”
LITTLE FINGER – Coming to the last finger-the little finger-she concluded: “Last is my little finger, which stands for me. That’s when I finish praying for myself and my needs.”
http://recoveryissexy.com/5-finger-prayer/
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more."
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind..
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
26. Always choose life.
27. Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
32. Believe in miracles.
33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
36.. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd
grab ours back.
40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
41. The best is yet to come.
42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
43. Yield.
44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more."
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind..
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
26. Always choose life.
27. Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
32. Believe in miracles.
33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
36.. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd
grab ours back.
40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
41. The best is yet to come.
42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
43. Yield.
44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Top 100 Things I'd Do ........If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord
My Legions of Terror will have helmets with clear plexiglass visors, not face-concealing ones.
My ventilation ducts will be too small to crawl through.
My noble half-brother whose throne I usurped will be killed, not kept anonymously imprisoned in a forgotten cell of my dungeon.
Shooting is not too good for my enemies.
The artifact which is the source of my power will not be kept on the Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of Eternity. It will be in my safe-deposit box. The same applies to the object which is my one weakness.
I will not gloat over my enemies' predicament before killing them.
When I've captured my adversary and he says, "Look, before you kill me, will you at least tell me what this is all about?" I'll say, "No." and shoot him. No, on second thought I'll shoot him then say "No."
After I kidnap the beautiful princess, we will be married immediately in a quiet civil ceremony, not a lavish spectacle in three weeks' time during which the final phase of my plan will be carried out.
I will not include a self-destruct mechanism unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, it will not be a large red button labelled "Danger: Do Not Push". The big red button marked "Do Not Push" will instead trigger a spray of bullets on anyone stupid enough to disregard it. Similarly, the ON/OFF switch will not clearly be labelled as such.
I will not interrogate my enemies in the inner sanctum -- a small hotel well outside my borders will work just as well.
I will be secure in my superiority. Therefore, I will feel no need to prove it by leaving clues in the form of riddles or leaving my weaker enemies alive to show they pose no threat.
One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation.
All slain enemies will be cremated, or at least have several rounds of ammunition emptied into them, not left for dead at the bottom of the cliff. The announcement of their deaths, as well as any accompanying celebration, will be deferred until after the aforementioned disposal.
The hero is not entitled to a last kiss, a last cigarette, or any other form of last request.
I will never employ any device with a digital countdown. If I find that such a device is absolutely unavoidable, I will set it to activate when the counter reaches 117 and the hero is just putting his plan into operation.
I will never utter the sentence "But before I kill you, there's just one thing I want to know."
When I employ people as advisors, I will occasionally listen to their advice.
I will not have a son. Although his laughably under-planned attempt to usurp power would easily fail, it would provide a fatal distraction at a crucial point in time.
I will not have a daughter. She would be as beautiful as she was evil, but one look at the hero's rugged countenance and she'd betray her own father.
Despite its proven stress-relieving effect, I will not indulge in maniacal laughter. When so occupied, it's too easy to miss unexpected developments that a more attentive individual could adjust to accordingly.
I will hire a talented fashion designer to create original uniforms for my Legions of Terror, as opposed to some cheap knock-offs that make them look like Nazi stormtroopers, Roman footsoldiers, or savage Mongol hordes. All were eventually defeated and I want my troops to have a more positive mind-set.
No matter how tempted I am with the prospect of unlimited power, I will not consume any energy field bigger than my head.
I will keep a special cache of low-tech weapons and train my troops in their use. That way -- even if the heroes manage to neutralize my power generator and/or render the standard-issue energy weapons useless -- my troops will not be overrun by a handful of savages armed with spears and rocks.
I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)
No matter how well it would perform, I will never construct any sort of machinery which is completely indestructible except for one small and virtually inaccessible vulnerable spot.
No matter how attractive certain members of the rebellion are, there is probably someone just as attractive who is not desperate to kill me. Therefore, I will think twice before ordering a prisoner sent to my bedchamber.
I will never build only one of anything important. All important systems will have redundant control panels and power supplies. For the same reason I will always carry at least two fully loaded weapons at all times.
My pet monster will be kept in a secure cage from which it cannot escape and into which I could not accidentally stumble.
I will dress in bright and cheery colors, and so throw my enemies into confusion.
All bumbling conjurers, clumsy squires, no-talent bards, and cowardly thieves in the land will be preemptively put to death. My foes will surely give up and abandon their quest if they have no source of comic relief.
All naive, busty tavern wenches in my realm will be replaced with surly, world-weary waitresses who will provide no unexpected reinforcement and/or romantic subplot for the hero or his sidekick.
I will not fly into a rage and kill a messenger who brings me bad news just to illustrate how evil I really am. Good messengers are hard to come by.
I won't require high-ranking female members of my organization to wear a stainless-steel bustier. Morale is better with a more casual dress-code. Similarly, outfits made entirely from black leather will be reserved for formal occasions.
I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.
I will not grow a goatee. In the old days they made you look diabolic. Now they just make you look like a disaffected member of Generation X.
I will not imprison members of the same party in the same cell block, let alone the same cell. If they are important prisoners, I will keep the only key to the cell door on my person instead of handing out copies to every bottom-rung guard in the prison.
If my trusted lieutenant tells me my Legions of Terror are losing a battle, I will believe him. After all, he's my trusted lieutenant.
If an enemy I have just killed has a younger sibling or offspring anywhere, I will find them and have them killed immediately, instead of waiting for them to grow up harboring feelings of vengeance towards me in my old age.
If I absolutely must ride into battle, I will certainly not ride at the forefront of my Legions of Terror, nor will I seek out my opposite number among his army.
I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable superweapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.
Once my power is secure, I will destroy all those pesky time-travel devices.
When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around.
I will maintain a healthy amount of skepticism when I capture the beautiful rebel and she claims she is attracted to my power and good looks and will gladly betray her companions if I just let her in on my plans.
I will only employ bounty hunters who work for money. Those who work for the pleasure of the hunt tend to do dumb things like even the odds to give the other guy a sporting chance.
I will make sure I have a clear understanding of who is responsible for what in my organization. For example, if my general screws up I will not draw my weapon, point it at him, say "And here is the price for failure," then suddenly turn and kill some random underling.
If an advisor says to me "My liege, he is but one man. What can one man possibly do?", I will reply "This." and kill the advisor.
If I learn that a callow youth has begun a quest to destroy me, I will slay him while he is still a callow youth instead of waiting for him to mature.
I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.
If I learn the whereabouts of the one artifact which can destroy me, I will not send all my troops out to seize it. Instead I will send them out to seize something else and quietly put a Want-Ad in the local paper.
My main computers will have their own special operating system that will be completely incompatible with standard IBM and Macintosh powerbooks.
If one of my dungeon guards begins expressing concern over the conditions in the beautiful princess' cell, I will immediately transfer him to a less people-oriented position.
I will hire a team of board-certified architects and surveyors to examine my castle and inform me of any secret passages and abandoned tunnels that I might not know about.
If the beautiful princess that I capture says "I'll never marry you! Never, do you hear me, NEVER!!!", I will say "Oh well" and kill her.
I will not strike a bargain with a demonic being then attempt to double-cross it simply because I feel like being contrary.
The deformed mutants and odd-ball psychotics will have their place in my Legions of Terror. However before I send them out on important covert missions that require tact and subtlety, I will first see if there is anyone else equally qualified who would attract less attention.
My Legions of Terror will be trained in basic marksmanship. Any who cannot learn to hit a man-sized target at 10 meters will be used for target practice.
Before employing any captured artifacts or machinery, I will carefully read the owner's manual.
If it becomes necessary to escape, I will never stop to pose dramatically and toss off a one-liner.
I will never build a sentient computer smarter than I am.
My five-year-old child advisor will also be asked to decipher any code I am thinking of using. If he breaks the code in under 30 seconds, it will not be used. Note: this also applies to passwords.
If my advisors ask "Why are you risking everything on such a mad scheme?", I will not proceed until I have a response that satisfies them.
I will design fortress hallways with no alcoves or protruding structural supports which intruders could use for cover in a firefight.
Bulk trash will be disposed of in incinerators, not compactors. And they will be kept hot, with none of that nonsense about flames going through accessible tunnels at predictable intervals.
I will see a competent psychiatrist and get cured of all extremely unusual phobias and bizarre compulsive habits which could prove to be a disadvantage.
If I must have computer systems with publically available terminals, the maps they display of my complex will have a room clearly marked as the Main Control Room. That room will be the Execution Chamber. The actual main control room will be marked as Sewage Overflow Containment.
My security keypad will actually be a fingerprint scanner. Anyone who watches someone press a sequence of buttons or dusts the pad for fingerprints then subsequently tries to enter by repeating that sequence will trigger the alarm system.
No matter how many shorts we have in the system, my guards will be instructed to treat every surveillance camera malfunction as a full-scale emergency.
I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again.
All midwives will be banned from the realm. All babies will be delivered at state-approved hospitals. Orphans will be placed in foster-homes, not abandoned in the woods to be raised by creatures of the wild.
When my guards split up to search for intruders, they will always travel in groups of at least two. They will be trained so that if one of them disappears mysteriously while on patrol, the other will immediately initiate an alert and call for backup, instead of quizzically peering around a corner.
If I decide to test a lieutenant's loyalty and see if he/she should be made a trusted lieutenant, I will have a crack squad of marksmen standing by in case the answer is no.
If all the heroes are standing together around a strange device and begin to taunt me, I will pull out a conventional weapon instead of using my unstoppable superweapon on them.
I will not agree to let the heroes go free if they win a rigged contest, even though my advisors assure me it is impossible for them to win.
When I create a multimedia presentation of my plan designed so that my five-year-old advisor can easily understand the details, I will not label the disk "Project Overlord" and leave it lying on top of my desk.
I will instruct my Legions of Terror to attack the hero en masse, instead of standing around waiting while members break off and attack one or two at a time.
If the hero runs up to my roof, I will not run up after him and struggle with him in an attempt to push him over the edge. I will also not engage him at the edge of a cliff. (In the middle of a rope-bridge over a river of molten lava is not even worth considering.)
If I have a fit of temporary insanity and decide to give the hero the chance to reject a job as my trusted lieutentant, I will retain enough sanity to wait until my current trusted lieutenant is out of earshot before making the offer.
I will not tell my Legions of Terror "And he must be taken alive!" The command will be "And try to take him alive if it is reasonably practical."
If my doomsday device happens to come with a reverse switch, as soon as it has been employed it will be melted down and made into limited-edition commemorative coins.
If my weakest troops fail to eliminate a hero, I will send out my best troops instead of wasting time with progressively stronger ones as he gets closer and closer to my fortress.
If I am fighting with the hero atop a moving platform, have disarmed him, and am about to finish him off and he glances behind me and drops flat, I too will drop flat instead of quizzically turning around to find out what he saw.
I will not shoot at any of my enemies if they are standing in front of the crucial support beam to a heavy, dangerous, unbalanced structure.
If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.
I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.
I will not use any plan in which the final step is horribly complicated, e.g. "Align the 12 Stones of Power on the sacred altar then activate the medallion at the moment of total eclipse." Instead it will be more along the lines of "Push the button."
I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.
My vats of hazardous chemicals will be covered when not in use. Also, I will not construct walkways above them.
If a group of henchmen fail miserably at a task, I will not berate them for incompetence then send the same group out to try the task again.
After I captures the hero's superweapon, I will not immediately disband my legions and relax my guard because I believe whoever holds the weapon is unstoppable. After all, the hero held the weapon and I took it from him.
I will not design my Main Control Room so that every workstation is facing away from the door.
I will not ignore the messenger that stumbles in exhausted and obviously agitated until my personal grooming or current entertainment is finished. It might actually be important.
If I ever talk to the hero on the phone, I will not taunt him. Instead I will say this his dogged perseverance has given me new insight on the futility of my evil ways and that if he leaves me alone for a few months of quiet contemplation I will likely return to the path of righteousness. (Heroes are incredibly gullible in this regard.)
If I decide to hold a double execution of the hero and an underling who failed or betrayed me, I will see to it that the hero is scheduled to go first.
When arresting prisoners, my guards will not allow them to stop and grab a useless trinket of purely sentimental value.
My dungeon will have its own qualified medical staff complete with bodyguards. That way if a prisoner becomes sick and his cellmate tells the guard it's an emergency, the guard will fetch a trauma team instead of opening up the cell for a look.
My door mechanisms will be designed so that blasting the control panel on the outside seals the door and blasting the control panel on the inside opens the door, not vice versa.
My dungeon cells will not be furnished with objects that contain reflective surfaces or anything that can be unravelled.
If an attractive young couple enters my realm, I will carefully monitor their activities. If I find they are happy and affectionate, I will ignore them.
However if circumstance have forced them together against their will and they spend all their time bickering and criticizing each other except during the intermittent occasions when they are saving each others' lives at which point there are hints of sexual tension, I will immediately order their execution.
Any data file of crucial importance will be padded to 1.45Mb in size.
Finally, to keep my subjects permanently locked in a mindless trance, I will provide each of them with free unlimited Internet access.
My ventilation ducts will be too small to crawl through.
My noble half-brother whose throne I usurped will be killed, not kept anonymously imprisoned in a forgotten cell of my dungeon.
Shooting is not too good for my enemies.
The artifact which is the source of my power will not be kept on the Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of Eternity. It will be in my safe-deposit box. The same applies to the object which is my one weakness.
I will not gloat over my enemies' predicament before killing them.
When I've captured my adversary and he says, "Look, before you kill me, will you at least tell me what this is all about?" I'll say, "No." and shoot him. No, on second thought I'll shoot him then say "No."
After I kidnap the beautiful princess, we will be married immediately in a quiet civil ceremony, not a lavish spectacle in three weeks' time during which the final phase of my plan will be carried out.
I will not include a self-destruct mechanism unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, it will not be a large red button labelled "Danger: Do Not Push". The big red button marked "Do Not Push" will instead trigger a spray of bullets on anyone stupid enough to disregard it. Similarly, the ON/OFF switch will not clearly be labelled as such.
I will not interrogate my enemies in the inner sanctum -- a small hotel well outside my borders will work just as well.
I will be secure in my superiority. Therefore, I will feel no need to prove it by leaving clues in the form of riddles or leaving my weaker enemies alive to show they pose no threat.
One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation.
All slain enemies will be cremated, or at least have several rounds of ammunition emptied into them, not left for dead at the bottom of the cliff. The announcement of their deaths, as well as any accompanying celebration, will be deferred until after the aforementioned disposal.
The hero is not entitled to a last kiss, a last cigarette, or any other form of last request.
I will never employ any device with a digital countdown. If I find that such a device is absolutely unavoidable, I will set it to activate when the counter reaches 117 and the hero is just putting his plan into operation.
I will never utter the sentence "But before I kill you, there's just one thing I want to know."
When I employ people as advisors, I will occasionally listen to their advice.
I will not have a son. Although his laughably under-planned attempt to usurp power would easily fail, it would provide a fatal distraction at a crucial point in time.
I will not have a daughter. She would be as beautiful as she was evil, but one look at the hero's rugged countenance and she'd betray her own father.
Despite its proven stress-relieving effect, I will not indulge in maniacal laughter. When so occupied, it's too easy to miss unexpected developments that a more attentive individual could adjust to accordingly.
I will hire a talented fashion designer to create original uniforms for my Legions of Terror, as opposed to some cheap knock-offs that make them look like Nazi stormtroopers, Roman footsoldiers, or savage Mongol hordes. All were eventually defeated and I want my troops to have a more positive mind-set.
No matter how tempted I am with the prospect of unlimited power, I will not consume any energy field bigger than my head.
I will keep a special cache of low-tech weapons and train my troops in their use. That way -- even if the heroes manage to neutralize my power generator and/or render the standard-issue energy weapons useless -- my troops will not be overrun by a handful of savages armed with spears and rocks.
I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)
No matter how well it would perform, I will never construct any sort of machinery which is completely indestructible except for one small and virtually inaccessible vulnerable spot.
No matter how attractive certain members of the rebellion are, there is probably someone just as attractive who is not desperate to kill me. Therefore, I will think twice before ordering a prisoner sent to my bedchamber.
I will never build only one of anything important. All important systems will have redundant control panels and power supplies. For the same reason I will always carry at least two fully loaded weapons at all times.
My pet monster will be kept in a secure cage from which it cannot escape and into which I could not accidentally stumble.
I will dress in bright and cheery colors, and so throw my enemies into confusion.
All bumbling conjurers, clumsy squires, no-talent bards, and cowardly thieves in the land will be preemptively put to death. My foes will surely give up and abandon their quest if they have no source of comic relief.
All naive, busty tavern wenches in my realm will be replaced with surly, world-weary waitresses who will provide no unexpected reinforcement and/or romantic subplot for the hero or his sidekick.
I will not fly into a rage and kill a messenger who brings me bad news just to illustrate how evil I really am. Good messengers are hard to come by.
I won't require high-ranking female members of my organization to wear a stainless-steel bustier. Morale is better with a more casual dress-code. Similarly, outfits made entirely from black leather will be reserved for formal occasions.
I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.
I will not grow a goatee. In the old days they made you look diabolic. Now they just make you look like a disaffected member of Generation X.
I will not imprison members of the same party in the same cell block, let alone the same cell. If they are important prisoners, I will keep the only key to the cell door on my person instead of handing out copies to every bottom-rung guard in the prison.
If my trusted lieutenant tells me my Legions of Terror are losing a battle, I will believe him. After all, he's my trusted lieutenant.
If an enemy I have just killed has a younger sibling or offspring anywhere, I will find them and have them killed immediately, instead of waiting for them to grow up harboring feelings of vengeance towards me in my old age.
If I absolutely must ride into battle, I will certainly not ride at the forefront of my Legions of Terror, nor will I seek out my opposite number among his army.
I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable superweapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.
Once my power is secure, I will destroy all those pesky time-travel devices.
When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around.
I will maintain a healthy amount of skepticism when I capture the beautiful rebel and she claims she is attracted to my power and good looks and will gladly betray her companions if I just let her in on my plans.
I will only employ bounty hunters who work for money. Those who work for the pleasure of the hunt tend to do dumb things like even the odds to give the other guy a sporting chance.
I will make sure I have a clear understanding of who is responsible for what in my organization. For example, if my general screws up I will not draw my weapon, point it at him, say "And here is the price for failure," then suddenly turn and kill some random underling.
If an advisor says to me "My liege, he is but one man. What can one man possibly do?", I will reply "This." and kill the advisor.
If I learn that a callow youth has begun a quest to destroy me, I will slay him while he is still a callow youth instead of waiting for him to mature.
I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.
If I learn the whereabouts of the one artifact which can destroy me, I will not send all my troops out to seize it. Instead I will send them out to seize something else and quietly put a Want-Ad in the local paper.
My main computers will have their own special operating system that will be completely incompatible with standard IBM and Macintosh powerbooks.
If one of my dungeon guards begins expressing concern over the conditions in the beautiful princess' cell, I will immediately transfer him to a less people-oriented position.
I will hire a team of board-certified architects and surveyors to examine my castle and inform me of any secret passages and abandoned tunnels that I might not know about.
If the beautiful princess that I capture says "I'll never marry you! Never, do you hear me, NEVER!!!", I will say "Oh well" and kill her.
I will not strike a bargain with a demonic being then attempt to double-cross it simply because I feel like being contrary.
The deformed mutants and odd-ball psychotics will have their place in my Legions of Terror. However before I send them out on important covert missions that require tact and subtlety, I will first see if there is anyone else equally qualified who would attract less attention.
My Legions of Terror will be trained in basic marksmanship. Any who cannot learn to hit a man-sized target at 10 meters will be used for target practice.
Before employing any captured artifacts or machinery, I will carefully read the owner's manual.
If it becomes necessary to escape, I will never stop to pose dramatically and toss off a one-liner.
I will never build a sentient computer smarter than I am.
My five-year-old child advisor will also be asked to decipher any code I am thinking of using. If he breaks the code in under 30 seconds, it will not be used. Note: this also applies to passwords.
If my advisors ask "Why are you risking everything on such a mad scheme?", I will not proceed until I have a response that satisfies them.
I will design fortress hallways with no alcoves or protruding structural supports which intruders could use for cover in a firefight.
Bulk trash will be disposed of in incinerators, not compactors. And they will be kept hot, with none of that nonsense about flames going through accessible tunnels at predictable intervals.
I will see a competent psychiatrist and get cured of all extremely unusual phobias and bizarre compulsive habits which could prove to be a disadvantage.
If I must have computer systems with publically available terminals, the maps they display of my complex will have a room clearly marked as the Main Control Room. That room will be the Execution Chamber. The actual main control room will be marked as Sewage Overflow Containment.
My security keypad will actually be a fingerprint scanner. Anyone who watches someone press a sequence of buttons or dusts the pad for fingerprints then subsequently tries to enter by repeating that sequence will trigger the alarm system.
No matter how many shorts we have in the system, my guards will be instructed to treat every surveillance camera malfunction as a full-scale emergency.
I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again.
All midwives will be banned from the realm. All babies will be delivered at state-approved hospitals. Orphans will be placed in foster-homes, not abandoned in the woods to be raised by creatures of the wild.
When my guards split up to search for intruders, they will always travel in groups of at least two. They will be trained so that if one of them disappears mysteriously while on patrol, the other will immediately initiate an alert and call for backup, instead of quizzically peering around a corner.
If I decide to test a lieutenant's loyalty and see if he/she should be made a trusted lieutenant, I will have a crack squad of marksmen standing by in case the answer is no.
If all the heroes are standing together around a strange device and begin to taunt me, I will pull out a conventional weapon instead of using my unstoppable superweapon on them.
I will not agree to let the heroes go free if they win a rigged contest, even though my advisors assure me it is impossible for them to win.
When I create a multimedia presentation of my plan designed so that my five-year-old advisor can easily understand the details, I will not label the disk "Project Overlord" and leave it lying on top of my desk.
I will instruct my Legions of Terror to attack the hero en masse, instead of standing around waiting while members break off and attack one or two at a time.
If the hero runs up to my roof, I will not run up after him and struggle with him in an attempt to push him over the edge. I will also not engage him at the edge of a cliff. (In the middle of a rope-bridge over a river of molten lava is not even worth considering.)
If I have a fit of temporary insanity and decide to give the hero the chance to reject a job as my trusted lieutentant, I will retain enough sanity to wait until my current trusted lieutenant is out of earshot before making the offer.
I will not tell my Legions of Terror "And he must be taken alive!" The command will be "And try to take him alive if it is reasonably practical."
If my doomsday device happens to come with a reverse switch, as soon as it has been employed it will be melted down and made into limited-edition commemorative coins.
If my weakest troops fail to eliminate a hero, I will send out my best troops instead of wasting time with progressively stronger ones as he gets closer and closer to my fortress.
If I am fighting with the hero atop a moving platform, have disarmed him, and am about to finish him off and he glances behind me and drops flat, I too will drop flat instead of quizzically turning around to find out what he saw.
I will not shoot at any of my enemies if they are standing in front of the crucial support beam to a heavy, dangerous, unbalanced structure.
If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.
I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.
I will not use any plan in which the final step is horribly complicated, e.g. "Align the 12 Stones of Power on the sacred altar then activate the medallion at the moment of total eclipse." Instead it will be more along the lines of "Push the button."
I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.
My vats of hazardous chemicals will be covered when not in use. Also, I will not construct walkways above them.
If a group of henchmen fail miserably at a task, I will not berate them for incompetence then send the same group out to try the task again.
After I captures the hero's superweapon, I will not immediately disband my legions and relax my guard because I believe whoever holds the weapon is unstoppable. After all, the hero held the weapon and I took it from him.
I will not design my Main Control Room so that every workstation is facing away from the door.
I will not ignore the messenger that stumbles in exhausted and obviously agitated until my personal grooming or current entertainment is finished. It might actually be important.
If I ever talk to the hero on the phone, I will not taunt him. Instead I will say this his dogged perseverance has given me new insight on the futility of my evil ways and that if he leaves me alone for a few months of quiet contemplation I will likely return to the path of righteousness. (Heroes are incredibly gullible in this regard.)
If I decide to hold a double execution of the hero and an underling who failed or betrayed me, I will see to it that the hero is scheduled to go first.
When arresting prisoners, my guards will not allow them to stop and grab a useless trinket of purely sentimental value.
My dungeon will have its own qualified medical staff complete with bodyguards. That way if a prisoner becomes sick and his cellmate tells the guard it's an emergency, the guard will fetch a trauma team instead of opening up the cell for a look.
My door mechanisms will be designed so that blasting the control panel on the outside seals the door and blasting the control panel on the inside opens the door, not vice versa.
My dungeon cells will not be furnished with objects that contain reflective surfaces or anything that can be unravelled.
If an attractive young couple enters my realm, I will carefully monitor their activities. If I find they are happy and affectionate, I will ignore them.
However if circumstance have forced them together against their will and they spend all their time bickering and criticizing each other except during the intermittent occasions when they are saving each others' lives at which point there are hints of sexual tension, I will immediately order their execution.
Any data file of crucial importance will be padded to 1.45Mb in size.
Finally, to keep my subjects permanently locked in a mindless trance, I will provide each of them with free unlimited Internet access.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Just a biker
JUST A BIKER
I saw you; hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line. But you didn't see me put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate last Sunday.
I saw you pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk. But you didn't see me playing Santa at the local Mall.
I saw you change your mind about going into the restaurant when you saw my bike parked out front. But you didn't see me attending a meeting to raise more money for the hurricane relief.
I saw you roll up your window and shake your head when I rode by. But you didn't see me riding behind you when you flicked your cigarette butt out the car window.
I saw you frown at me when I smiled at your children. But you didn't see me, when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless.
I saw you stare at my long hair. But you didn't see me and my friends cut ten inches off for Locks of Love.
I saw you roll your eyes at our leather jackets and gloves. But you didn't see me and my brothers donate our old ones to those that had none.
I saw you look in fright at my tattoos. But you didn't see me cry as my children were born or have their name written over and in my heart.
I saw you change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere. But you didn't see me going home to be with my family.
I saw you, complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be. But you didn't see me when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.
I saw you yelling at your kids in the car. But you didn't see me pat my child's hands knowing she was safe behind me.
I saw you reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road. But you didn't see me squeeze my wife's leg when she told me to take the next turn.
I saw you race down the road in the rain. But you didn't see me get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.
I saw you run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time. But you didn't see me trying to turn right.
I saw you cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in. But you didn't see me leave the road.
I saw you, waiting impatiently for my friends to pass. But you didn't see me. I wasn't there.
I saw you go home to your family. But you didn't see me. Because I died that day you cut me off.
I was just a biker. A person with friends and a family. But you didn't see me.
I saw you; hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line. But you didn't see me put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate last Sunday.
I saw you pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk. But you didn't see me playing Santa at the local Mall.
I saw you change your mind about going into the restaurant when you saw my bike parked out front. But you didn't see me attending a meeting to raise more money for the hurricane relief.
I saw you roll up your window and shake your head when I rode by. But you didn't see me riding behind you when you flicked your cigarette butt out the car window.
I saw you frown at me when I smiled at your children. But you didn't see me, when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless.
I saw you stare at my long hair. But you didn't see me and my friends cut ten inches off for Locks of Love.
I saw you roll your eyes at our leather jackets and gloves. But you didn't see me and my brothers donate our old ones to those that had none.
I saw you look in fright at my tattoos. But you didn't see me cry as my children were born or have their name written over and in my heart.
I saw you change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere. But you didn't see me going home to be with my family.
I saw you, complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be. But you didn't see me when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.
I saw you yelling at your kids in the car. But you didn't see me pat my child's hands knowing she was safe behind me.
I saw you reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road. But you didn't see me squeeze my wife's leg when she told me to take the next turn.
I saw you race down the road in the rain. But you didn't see me get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.
I saw you run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time. But you didn't see me trying to turn right.
I saw you cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in. But you didn't see me leave the road.
I saw you, waiting impatiently for my friends to pass. But you didn't see me. I wasn't there.
I saw you go home to your family. But you didn't see me. Because I died that day you cut me off.
I was just a biker. A person with friends and a family. But you didn't see me.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Denial Sucks
I am so confused and hurt. I wanted to hate him for the rest of my life. I was perfectly content to hate him. They say there is a fine line between love and hate; and I dont think there is a line at all; I think its more like less than a strand of hair.
He is so very sick. He could die. And for all of the nights I cried myself to sleep and begged god to kill the fucker; now when he very really and truly could be dying; I am lost and worried and dont want him to die.
I am back to living my life one moment at a time. I am on a roller coaster of emotions and I FUCKING HATE THAT. I want to be numb. I just dont want to feel anything.
I wont go there though. It worse than anything I have ever done. Drugs will kill me and my life will go back to meaning less than nothing.
I want my big brother to be here for me; but his dumb ass is clear across the united states cuz he cant keep his lame ass out of trouble. I feel like a fool.
He is so very sick. He could die. And for all of the nights I cried myself to sleep and begged god to kill the fucker; now when he very really and truly could be dying; I am lost and worried and dont want him to die.
I am back to living my life one moment at a time. I am on a roller coaster of emotions and I FUCKING HATE THAT. I want to be numb. I just dont want to feel anything.
I wont go there though. It worse than anything I have ever done. Drugs will kill me and my life will go back to meaning less than nothing.
I want my big brother to be here for me; but his dumb ass is clear across the united states cuz he cant keep his lame ass out of trouble. I feel like a fool.
Trying times
My ex husband is in the hospital and has 3 life thretening illnesses. He has pnemonia; mersa; and a blod clot from his knee up into his hip.
We have been divorced for a little over a year. I have been telling anyone who would listen how much I hate him and want nothing to do with him.
Denial is a bitch. I do still care about him and even love him. We were best friends before we got married. Life is hard with a practicing addict. My life and world were turned upside down on a daily basis.
I am tired and sore today; physically, mentally and emotionally. Higher power give me strength.
We have been divorced for a little over a year. I have been telling anyone who would listen how much I hate him and want nothing to do with him.
Denial is a bitch. I do still care about him and even love him. We were best friends before we got married. Life is hard with a practicing addict. My life and world were turned upside down on a daily basis.
I am tired and sore today; physically, mentally and emotionally. Higher power give me strength.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Shopping
I fucking hate grocery shopping. I especially hate it once a month when I go with my two MALE room mates who hate it and do everything they can to hurry the process along; not getting that if they would just slow the fuck down and go with the list we would get done in half the time.
UGH
UGH
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Things You Probably Already Know, But Have Forgotten
1. Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of cotton.
2. The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.
3. The dot over the letter i is called a "tittle."
4. A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.
5. 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.
6. 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.
7. The 'spot' on 7UP comes from its inventor, who had red eyes. He was albino.
8. On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents, daily.
9. Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister.
10. Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small sized dog.
11. Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.
12. Most lipstick contains fish scales.
13. Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
14. Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine.
15. Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower' because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the 'upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters.
16. Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time.
17. Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.
18. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.
19. The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan; there was never a recorded Wendy before!
20. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange, purple, and silver!
21. Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.
22. A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.
23. The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
24. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar (good to know.
25. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand (and you thought this list was completely useless.
26. The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb (sign of a truely civilized society.
27. The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.
28. Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It's the same with apples!
29. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!
30. The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.
31. Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.
32. Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a space suit damages it.
2. The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.
3. The dot over the letter i is called a "tittle."
4. A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.
5. 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.
6. 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.
7. The 'spot' on 7UP comes from its inventor, who had red eyes. He was albino.
8. On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents, daily.
9. Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister.
10. Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small sized dog.
11. Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.
12. Most lipstick contains fish scales.
13. Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
14. Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine.
15. Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower' because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the 'upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters.
16. Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time.
17. Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.
18. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.
19. The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan; there was never a recorded Wendy before!
20. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange, purple, and silver!
21. Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.
22. A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.
23. The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
24. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar (good to know.
25. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand (and you thought this list was completely useless.
26. The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb (sign of a truely civilized society.
27. The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.
28. Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It's the same with apples!
29. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!
30. The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.
31. Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.
32. Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a space suit damages it.
"To Achieve Your Dreams Remember Your ABC's"
Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits.
Believe in yourself.
Consider things from every angle.
Don't give up and don't give in.
Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come.
Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches.
Give more than you planned to.
Hang on to your dreams.
Ignore those who try to discourage you.
Just do it.
Keep trying no matter how hard it seems, it will get easier.
Love yourself first and most.
Make it happen.
Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal.
Open your eyes and see things as they really are.
Practice makes perfect.
Quitters never win and winners never quit.
Read, study and learn about everything important in your life.
Stop procrastinating.
Take control of your own destiny.
Understand yourself in order to better understand others.
Visualize it.
Want it more than anything.
'Excellerate' your efforts.
You are unique of all God's creations, nothing can replace YOU.
Zero in on your target and go for it!"
Believe in yourself.
Consider things from every angle.
Don't give up and don't give in.
Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come.
Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches.
Give more than you planned to.
Hang on to your dreams.
Ignore those who try to discourage you.
Just do it.
Keep trying no matter how hard it seems, it will get easier.
Love yourself first and most.
Make it happen.
Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal.
Open your eyes and see things as they really are.
Practice makes perfect.
Quitters never win and winners never quit.
Read, study and learn about everything important in your life.
Stop procrastinating.
Take control of your own destiny.
Understand yourself in order to better understand others.
Visualize it.
Want it more than anything.
'Excellerate' your efforts.
You are unique of all God's creations, nothing can replace YOU.
Zero in on your target and go for it!"
Question of the day
Do you remember the things you did when you first started using the Web and how it has changed your life?
Co-dependency
Co-dependency.
This addictive condition can affect anyone not just those of with drug addictions. A little explanation of co-dependency; it can take many forms.
control- the co-dependent feel they need to be in control of others. they think theyre more capable than others to make important decisions.
co-dependents let others behavior affect them.
they usually feel the need to fix others.
they blame themselves for things others do.
co-dependencyis disfunctional and destructive
This addictive condition can affect anyone not just those of with drug addictions. A little explanation of co-dependency; it can take many forms.
control- the co-dependent feel they need to be in control of others. they think theyre more capable than others to make important decisions.
co-dependents let others behavior affect them.
they usually feel the need to fix others.
they blame themselves for things others do.
co-dependencyis disfunctional and destructive
The new Crutches.... this will piss some ppl off
methadone, suboxone, anabuse, benzodiazepines, buprenorphine, disulfiram and im sure many other drugs are available to the recovering addict to help deal with things like withdrawal, cravings and other symptoms. my question is this? why are so many people on some of these drugs long term? i know of many heroin addicts that have been on methadone for way longer than they used dope. what the fuck?!?
ok... withdrawal from some drugs sucks but you can get off them if you want. what did people do to recover before these 'wonder drugs'? some just knuckled under and did it in the rooms and some went to hospitals. the thing is, these medications should be only short term solutions. im all for making detox easier, i guess, but how is an addict detoxing from anything if they are still on an addictive substance? another thing about detox/withdrawal... shouldnt we feel some discomfort and pain? i think so because if it were easy we would just forget that there was any problem in the first place. make things easier on an addict and they seek the easy way.
i guess methadone is my pet peeve. ive tried heroin, didnt like it and didnt get addicted but i see the damage heroin does. i also see the damage caused by methadone. very, very few people can actually die from heroin withdrawal but the numbers go way up for methadone. also, with heroin you are going to be sick for several days and uncomfortable for a week or so. if you kick methadone youre going to be sick for maybe six months and uncomfortable even longer. the solution is worse than the problem. some people even get high on methadone. its supposed to be a replacement for dope but many addicts use it on top of their daily fix. is it a solution or just an attempt to control the heroin addict? methadone isnt going to work unless there is a desire to get the fuck off it. i know a lot of addicts that arent getting their methadone decreased like its supposed to be done and theyre trapped in a new addiction.
anabuse is another drugs thats just plain bad. its supposed to be a deterant to drinking and im sure it works sometimes. shit, i drank on anabuse and im sure a lot of other alcoholics did too. like with methadone, it aint gonna work unless the desire to stop is there and if that desire is there then you dont need it in the first place. penalties like violent illness dont deter us. we find ways around this shit and some stop0 taking this med altogether. why the fuck get on it in the first place?
benzos are wonderful detox meds, for alcoholics especially, but they can make withdrawal more comfortable for just about any addict. they are a solid replacement for booze as they closely mimic alcohol. for serious alcoholics this is important for the first three to seven days of abstinence because alcohol withdrawal can kill you. many late stage alcoholics die when they try to kick cold turkey. its just how alcohol works. in the old days doctors recognized this and treated it. unfortunately they treated it with the best they had back then, a mixture of alcohol and formaldehyde. this was another case where the solution was as dangerous as the problem. modern medicine has given us medications effective for alcoholism treatment but like with every other drug, they are a short term fix. ok, im not talking about people prescribed these meds for anxiety and other mental/chemical issues, im only addressing addiction here. benzos are highly addicting and as dangerous as booze to detox from. they also have a longer withdrawal then alcoholo. with booze you suffer for a while depending on the severity of the addiction but most alcoholics are out of the danger zone at three to five days after the last drink. with benzos the acute withdrawal can last as long as 8 weeks.
soboxone and other opoid treatments are good but like methadone, its a short term treatment. why do doctors insist addicts be on detoxifying meds for long periods of time? heroin is kickble, ask jimmy k and all the oldtimers in NA. they kicked without all these wonder drugs and you know what? there was a much higher success rate of recovery back then then there is now with all the wonder drugs.
there is one more method of treatment i want to address. rapid detox. this is a surgical procedure where the addict is anesthetized and surgically detoxed while under. i wonder what the long term success rate of this method is? again, im all for making detox easier but i really think that not feeling the discomfort and pain is doing the addict a huge disservice. if there is no pain there is no gain. thats my two cents on this but id like to hear from anyone that went thru rapid detox.
my drug of choice is primarily alcohol. in the past 15 years ive detoxed from it seven times. every time i detoxed it was done with medical supervision and in an inpatient setting. im a very low bottom drunk with a very serious alcohol addiction. each time i went to detox i was put on at least one medication, usualy multiple meds. one or more was a benzodiazepine; valium, librium or something related. i was on these meds for three to six days. as soon as my vitals; blood pressure, temperature and heartrate were stabilized these drugs were taken away. i was dosed accordingly; heavily the first day and lower doses each progressive day. when the drugs were removed from my treatment my withdrawal was really felt. i felt it even on the meds but they took the edge off. the only reason i was placed on the meds was because i was in danger of dying. i still felt the pain and discomfort and it still helps me in my recovery today.
why are doctors so keen to make detox easy? i understand why we addicts want this. withdrawal is probably the single biggest reason most of us leave treatment. the thing is this: do we want to have to be on replacement drugs the rest of our lives? it was the addiction that was killing most of us, not the withdrawal. most addicts will not die from withdrawal yet more and more are medicated and the success rates in recovery continues to go down. we make addicts relient on doctors and clinics instead of dealers. the doctors has becomae the new dealer and a lot of us will do almost anything for our "fix".
define your recovery any way you like but think about this... are you still putting something into your body to change the way you feel? again, im not talking about those that need to be on certin meds to function in daily life. im talking about addicts seeking recovery. no addict needs to be on anything do be in recovery. some of us fool ourselves into thinking this. we tell ourselves that if we didnt have suboxone or methadone or valium then we would just be using heroin or drinking again. what the fucks the difference? its a replacement at best and a new addiction at worst. ANY MEDICATION USED TO TREAT ADDICTION SHOULD BE SHORT TERM FOR TREATING LIFE THREATENING SYMPTOMS ONLY not just because the addict might use again or feel uncomfortable with detox or isnt sleeping well. we are turning control over to the government, clinics and doctors instead of god as we should. again, im going to repeat myself... the founders did it without replecement drugs and their successes were way higher than they are now. think about that.
none of the above named drugs has anywhere near the success of a solid recovery program. they can be used in conjunction with a program but you will find that as you work your program that maybe its not a good idea to stay on these drugs. i personally know thousands of people that have gotten of any form of drug in all stages of addiction without the help of any medications except for the very short term and there are many that never had any medical help to kick at all. they didnt need the medical help and theyre fine and productive today. many of them have long term recovery. how did they do this? they just did. they suffered the withdrawal and got over it. YOU WILL EVENTUALLY GET OVER WITHDRAWAL IF YOU STAY THE FUCK OFF THE DRUGS LONG ENOUGH. you may not like the way you feel but that feeling might just be what saves your life one day.
once real recovery is sought then we find that we were just fooling ourselves. we didnt need anything to help kick except for maybe in the very beginning to not die. if youre on any of these medications just know that this blog is my opinion but its also the opinion of many others. dont fool yourself with ideals of what methadone, suboxone and other drugs are. they are drugs and they do nothing but keep withdrawal minimal. thats it.
ok... withdrawal from some drugs sucks but you can get off them if you want. what did people do to recover before these 'wonder drugs'? some just knuckled under and did it in the rooms and some went to hospitals. the thing is, these medications should be only short term solutions. im all for making detox easier, i guess, but how is an addict detoxing from anything if they are still on an addictive substance? another thing about detox/withdrawal... shouldnt we feel some discomfort and pain? i think so because if it were easy we would just forget that there was any problem in the first place. make things easier on an addict and they seek the easy way.
i guess methadone is my pet peeve. ive tried heroin, didnt like it and didnt get addicted but i see the damage heroin does. i also see the damage caused by methadone. very, very few people can actually die from heroin withdrawal but the numbers go way up for methadone. also, with heroin you are going to be sick for several days and uncomfortable for a week or so. if you kick methadone youre going to be sick for maybe six months and uncomfortable even longer. the solution is worse than the problem. some people even get high on methadone. its supposed to be a replacement for dope but many addicts use it on top of their daily fix. is it a solution or just an attempt to control the heroin addict? methadone isnt going to work unless there is a desire to get the fuck off it. i know a lot of addicts that arent getting their methadone decreased like its supposed to be done and theyre trapped in a new addiction.
anabuse is another drugs thats just plain bad. its supposed to be a deterant to drinking and im sure it works sometimes. shit, i drank on anabuse and im sure a lot of other alcoholics did too. like with methadone, it aint gonna work unless the desire to stop is there and if that desire is there then you dont need it in the first place. penalties like violent illness dont deter us. we find ways around this shit and some stop0 taking this med altogether. why the fuck get on it in the first place?
benzos are wonderful detox meds, for alcoholics especially, but they can make withdrawal more comfortable for just about any addict. they are a solid replacement for booze as they closely mimic alcohol. for serious alcoholics this is important for the first three to seven days of abstinence because alcohol withdrawal can kill you. many late stage alcoholics die when they try to kick cold turkey. its just how alcohol works. in the old days doctors recognized this and treated it. unfortunately they treated it with the best they had back then, a mixture of alcohol and formaldehyde. this was another case where the solution was as dangerous as the problem. modern medicine has given us medications effective for alcoholism treatment but like with every other drug, they are a short term fix. ok, im not talking about people prescribed these meds for anxiety and other mental/chemical issues, im only addressing addiction here. benzos are highly addicting and as dangerous as booze to detox from. they also have a longer withdrawal then alcoholo. with booze you suffer for a while depending on the severity of the addiction but most alcoholics are out of the danger zone at three to five days after the last drink. with benzos the acute withdrawal can last as long as 8 weeks.
soboxone and other opoid treatments are good but like methadone, its a short term treatment. why do doctors insist addicts be on detoxifying meds for long periods of time? heroin is kickble, ask jimmy k and all the oldtimers in NA. they kicked without all these wonder drugs and you know what? there was a much higher success rate of recovery back then then there is now with all the wonder drugs.
there is one more method of treatment i want to address. rapid detox. this is a surgical procedure where the addict is anesthetized and surgically detoxed while under. i wonder what the long term success rate of this method is? again, im all for making detox easier but i really think that not feeling the discomfort and pain is doing the addict a huge disservice. if there is no pain there is no gain. thats my two cents on this but id like to hear from anyone that went thru rapid detox.
my drug of choice is primarily alcohol. in the past 15 years ive detoxed from it seven times. every time i detoxed it was done with medical supervision and in an inpatient setting. im a very low bottom drunk with a very serious alcohol addiction. each time i went to detox i was put on at least one medication, usualy multiple meds. one or more was a benzodiazepine; valium, librium or something related. i was on these meds for three to six days. as soon as my vitals; blood pressure, temperature and heartrate were stabilized these drugs were taken away. i was dosed accordingly; heavily the first day and lower doses each progressive day. when the drugs were removed from my treatment my withdrawal was really felt. i felt it even on the meds but they took the edge off. the only reason i was placed on the meds was because i was in danger of dying. i still felt the pain and discomfort and it still helps me in my recovery today.
why are doctors so keen to make detox easy? i understand why we addicts want this. withdrawal is probably the single biggest reason most of us leave treatment. the thing is this: do we want to have to be on replacement drugs the rest of our lives? it was the addiction that was killing most of us, not the withdrawal. most addicts will not die from withdrawal yet more and more are medicated and the success rates in recovery continues to go down. we make addicts relient on doctors and clinics instead of dealers. the doctors has becomae the new dealer and a lot of us will do almost anything for our "fix".
define your recovery any way you like but think about this... are you still putting something into your body to change the way you feel? again, im not talking about those that need to be on certin meds to function in daily life. im talking about addicts seeking recovery. no addict needs to be on anything do be in recovery. some of us fool ourselves into thinking this. we tell ourselves that if we didnt have suboxone or methadone or valium then we would just be using heroin or drinking again. what the fucks the difference? its a replacement at best and a new addiction at worst. ANY MEDICATION USED TO TREAT ADDICTION SHOULD BE SHORT TERM FOR TREATING LIFE THREATENING SYMPTOMS ONLY not just because the addict might use again or feel uncomfortable with detox or isnt sleeping well. we are turning control over to the government, clinics and doctors instead of god as we should. again, im going to repeat myself... the founders did it without replecement drugs and their successes were way higher than they are now. think about that.
none of the above named drugs has anywhere near the success of a solid recovery program. they can be used in conjunction with a program but you will find that as you work your program that maybe its not a good idea to stay on these drugs. i personally know thousands of people that have gotten of any form of drug in all stages of addiction without the help of any medications except for the very short term and there are many that never had any medical help to kick at all. they didnt need the medical help and theyre fine and productive today. many of them have long term recovery. how did they do this? they just did. they suffered the withdrawal and got over it. YOU WILL EVENTUALLY GET OVER WITHDRAWAL IF YOU STAY THE FUCK OFF THE DRUGS LONG ENOUGH. you may not like the way you feel but that feeling might just be what saves your life one day.
once real recovery is sought then we find that we were just fooling ourselves. we didnt need anything to help kick except for maybe in the very beginning to not die. if youre on any of these medications just know that this blog is my opinion but its also the opinion of many others. dont fool yourself with ideals of what methadone, suboxone and other drugs are. they are drugs and they do nothing but keep withdrawal minimal. thats it.
God's Paintbrush
*I am not religious; but spiritual; for every god that is written I mean a higher power of your understand. *
God has a paintbrush. he paints in many beautiful colors and with bold strokes. he paints the sky and he paints the earth... he painted you and he painted me. he didnt use no "paint-by-numbers" kit. we are all original works of art.
some of us are "classics", we were painted long ago and our colors are still bold... some of us are "renessaince" paintings, all bold and strong... some of us are "romantic", full of love and lust... some of us are "impressionist", full of light and color... some of us are "abatract", hard to understand but the image is there if you look... and some of us are "surreal", full of dreams and imagry...
god paints with bold strokes, there are no sharp angles. sometimes god even goes outside the lines. he creates great beauty and strength and he paints our soul. he paints us a path to walk, he paints our children and our friends. he interweaves all his art together into one grand canvas of unimaginable beauty. this is the canvas of life and we are all a part of it. it will always be incomplete as more work is added. every child is a new piece of art, every person is a vital part of the whole. gods art is huge and full.
god paints with many colors, his palate is full. he uses all those colors to mix us together, unfortunately some of us are critics and dont like his work. some choose not to see the beauty of gods creation and some even deny its existence... such a shame to not see the most important piece of art ever, the one you are a part of.
gods art hangs in the galleries of the heart. his work is found in the soul... he makes no mistakes, he dosent paint over old canvases and his work is not for sale. his art is there for all of us to enjoy, to gain inspiration from and to learn. we add to this grand canvas every day.
the paint god uses for us is love. this paint is indelible, it wont wash and it wont fade... gods paint never peals and it never goes away. when the art of our lives comes to an end there is always new art to replace it. we then join another great work somewhere else but we still remain in the original canvas. those who love us remember where we were in this work and keep us there.
god has many paintbrushes for each and every one of us. he uses them everyday to touchup, to add color and light. god signs his work with his love and his smile.
god has painted our lives for us, we then go and paint ourselves into a corner. you see, god gave us a paintbrush too. we can use it for great art or we can use it for ugliness. recovery is great art, using is ugliness. recovery is every color imaginable, using is black and white... mostly black. with recovery we learn to repaint our lives but only with gods instruction... free will gave us these paintbrushes and free will should allow us to give them back to him.
let god guide your hand, let him show you all the colors... there are more than you could imagine. let god show you the great work of art you are. let him show you how to be in the great work that is life. let god into your life so that you can see and maybe then you can teach others to paint too.
God has a paintbrush. he paints in many beautiful colors and with bold strokes. he paints the sky and he paints the earth... he painted you and he painted me. he didnt use no "paint-by-numbers" kit. we are all original works of art.
some of us are "classics", we were painted long ago and our colors are still bold... some of us are "renessaince" paintings, all bold and strong... some of us are "romantic", full of love and lust... some of us are "impressionist", full of light and color... some of us are "abatract", hard to understand but the image is there if you look... and some of us are "surreal", full of dreams and imagry...
god paints with bold strokes, there are no sharp angles. sometimes god even goes outside the lines. he creates great beauty and strength and he paints our soul. he paints us a path to walk, he paints our children and our friends. he interweaves all his art together into one grand canvas of unimaginable beauty. this is the canvas of life and we are all a part of it. it will always be incomplete as more work is added. every child is a new piece of art, every person is a vital part of the whole. gods art is huge and full.
god paints with many colors, his palate is full. he uses all those colors to mix us together, unfortunately some of us are critics and dont like his work. some choose not to see the beauty of gods creation and some even deny its existence... such a shame to not see the most important piece of art ever, the one you are a part of.
gods art hangs in the galleries of the heart. his work is found in the soul... he makes no mistakes, he dosent paint over old canvases and his work is not for sale. his art is there for all of us to enjoy, to gain inspiration from and to learn. we add to this grand canvas every day.
the paint god uses for us is love. this paint is indelible, it wont wash and it wont fade... gods paint never peals and it never goes away. when the art of our lives comes to an end there is always new art to replace it. we then join another great work somewhere else but we still remain in the original canvas. those who love us remember where we were in this work and keep us there.
god has many paintbrushes for each and every one of us. he uses them everyday to touchup, to add color and light. god signs his work with his love and his smile.
god has painted our lives for us, we then go and paint ourselves into a corner. you see, god gave us a paintbrush too. we can use it for great art or we can use it for ugliness. recovery is great art, using is ugliness. recovery is every color imaginable, using is black and white... mostly black. with recovery we learn to repaint our lives but only with gods instruction... free will gave us these paintbrushes and free will should allow us to give them back to him.
let god guide your hand, let him show you all the colors... there are more than you could imagine. let god show you the great work of art you are. let him show you how to be in the great work that is life. let god into your life so that you can see and maybe then you can teach others to paint too.
This should probably be taped to my bathroom mirror where I can read it every day. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.
1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
Good friends are like stars..... You don't always see them, But you know they are always there.
'Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the H allway.'
I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole truck load when I'm gone.
Forward to all your friends. And don't tell me you're too busy for this.. Don't you know the phrase 'stop and smell the flowers'? See how many 'bouquets' you end up with!
Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keeps You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only
God keeps You Going
1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
Good friends are like stars..... You don't always see them, But you know they are always there.
'Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the H allway.'
I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole truck load when I'm gone.
Forward to all your friends. And don't tell me you're too busy for this.. Don't you know the phrase 'stop and smell the flowers'? See how many 'bouquets' you end up with!
Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keeps You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only
God keeps You Going
Grandma's Hands
Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio b ench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands.
When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK
Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. 'Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking,' she said in a clear voice strong.
'I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,' I explained to her.
'Have you ever looked at your hands,' she asked. 'I mean really looked at your hands?'
I slowly opened m y hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.
Grandma smiled and related this story:
'Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.
'They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.
They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he we nt off to war.
'They have been dirty, scraped and raw , swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.
They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.
'They have held my children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.
They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works r eal well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.
'These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life.
But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.'
I remember God when reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home. I will never look at my hands the same again.
When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my childr en and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.
I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.
-- Author Unknown
When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK
Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. 'Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking,' she said in a clear voice strong.
'I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,' I explained to her.
'Have you ever looked at your hands,' she asked. 'I mean really looked at your hands?'
I slowly opened m y hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.
Grandma smiled and related this story:
'Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.
'They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.
They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he we nt off to war.
'They have been dirty, scraped and raw , swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.
They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.
'They have held my children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.
They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works r eal well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.
'These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life.
But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.'
I remember God when reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home. I will never look at my hands the same again.
When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my childr en and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.
I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.
-- Author Unknown
~ Life is to short to wake up in the morning with regrets ~
~ So love the people who treat your right ~
~ Forget about the ones who don't ~
~ And believe that everything happens for a reason ~
~ If you get a chance take it ~ If it changes your life, let it ~
~ Nobody said that it would be easy ~
~ They just promised it would be worth it ~
Friendship
Friendship~ like every relationship~ is a two way street. AND Expectations are resentments waiting to happen. Re evaluating ppl and there roles in my life today
Guidance
Guidance
When I meditated on the word
guidance,
I kept seeing
the word. I remember reading that doing
God’s will is a lot like dancing: When two
people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn’t flow with the
music, and everything is quite uncomfortable
and jerky. When one person
realizes that and lets the other lead, both
bodies begin to flow with the music. One
gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge
to the back or by pressing lightly in one
direction or another. It’s as if the two become
one body. To dance this way takes
surrender, willingness, and attentiveness
from one person and gentle guidance
and skill from the other.
My eyes were drawn back to the word
dance at the end of
guidance
of God, followed by “u” and “i.” God
– u – and – i – dance… God, you and
I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing
to trust that I would receive guidance
about my life. Once again, I became willing
to let God lead. May you abide in God
as God abides in you. Dance together
with God, trusting to be led and guided
through each season of your life.
And I hope you dance.
Author Unknown
When I meditated on the word
guidance,
I kept seeing
the word. I remember reading that doing
God’s will is a lot like dancing: When two
people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn’t flow with the
music, and everything is quite uncomfortable
and jerky. When one person
realizes that and lets the other lead, both
bodies begin to flow with the music. One
gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge
to the back or by pressing lightly in one
direction or another. It’s as if the two become
one body. To dance this way takes
surrender, willingness, and attentiveness
from one person and gentle guidance
and skill from the other.
My eyes were drawn back to the word
dance at the end of
guidance
of God, followed by “u” and “i.” God
– u – and – i – dance… God, you and
I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing
to trust that I would receive guidance
about my life. Once again, I became willing
to let God lead. May you abide in God
as God abides in you. Dance together
with God, trusting to be led and guided
through each season of your life.
And I hope you dance.
Author Unknown
The Dennis Mitchell Band
I love these guys. I have know them for over 20 years. There music is great. If you want to hear some great music; check out there web site DMB. Payback blues is my personal favorite.
If you like their music you can buy the cd at amazon.com here
NA Funnies
I called a friend who was a new NA member and heard the following recording: “I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you will know that you are one of the changes.”
The monkey isn’t on my back any more, but the circus is still in town.
An oldtimer was sitting in a meeting and a newcomer walked in and sat down next to him. The newcomer’s hair was sharply spiked and was all different colors: green, red, orange, blue, yellow, and hot pink. The oldtimer just stared until the newcomer said, “What’s the matter, oldtimer, you never did anything wild in your life?” The oldtimer replied, “Yeah, as a matter of fact, I got wasted once and had sex with a parrot. I was just wondering if you might be my son.”
The monkey isn’t on my back any more, but the circus is still in town.
An oldtimer was sitting in a meeting and a newcomer walked in and sat down next to him. The newcomer’s hair was sharply spiked and was all different colors: green, red, orange, blue, yellow, and hot pink. The oldtimer just stared until the newcomer said, “What’s the matter, oldtimer, you never did anything wild in your life?” The oldtimer replied, “Yeah, as a matter of fact, I got wasted once and had sex with a parrot. I was just wondering if you might be my son.”
NA sayings
1- It's not old behavior if I'm still doing it.
2- If you're looking to have an image in NA, look around at the meetings you go to and take a look at whom you're trying to impress.
3- An addict is a person who wants to be held while he's isolating.
4- addiction is the leading cause of relapse.
5- A treatment center is where you go and pay $25,000 to find out that NA meetings are free.
6- The idea that alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, overeaters, smokers, etc, etc, should all just go to NA Meetings because a disease, is a disease, is a disease... was started by a treatment center that only had one van.
7- This is a ' JUST FOR TODAY' program. If you are clean and sober today, you are tied for first place in NA.
8- If USING is interfering with your work, you're probably a heavy USER. If work is interfering with your USING, you're probably an ADDICT.
9- I often obsessively pursue feeling good, no matter how bad it makes me feel.
10- When I was new, I didn't think I had any obsessions until I started thinking about it. Then it was all I could think about.
2- If you're looking to have an image in NA, look around at the meetings you go to and take a look at whom you're trying to impress.
3- An addict is a person who wants to be held while he's isolating.
4- addiction is the leading cause of relapse.
5- A treatment center is where you go and pay $25,000 to find out that NA meetings are free.
6- The idea that alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, overeaters, smokers, etc, etc, should all just go to NA Meetings because a disease, is a disease, is a disease... was started by a treatment center that only had one van.
7- This is a ' JUST FOR TODAY' program. If you are clean and sober today, you are tied for first place in NA.
8- If USING is interfering with your work, you're probably a heavy USER. If work is interfering with your USING, you're probably an ADDICT.
9- I often obsessively pursue feeling good, no matter how bad it makes me feel.
10- When I was new, I didn't think I had any obsessions until I started thinking about it. Then it was all I could think about.
"Compassion compels us to reach out to all living beings, including our so-called enemies, those people who upset or hurt us. Irrespective of what they do to you, if you remember that all beings like you are only trying to be happy, you will find it much easier to develop compassion towards them.
"
The Dalai Lama
"
The Dalai Lama
More Anger
Anger is an emotion with great destructive potential. It rises hot in our blood and can stir us to unfortunate action. It clouds our vision, cuts us off from the object of our fury, and drives us to do things which we may later regret. It makes us a source of worry to others.
Anger makes us think we feel strong, but it is a sign to others of our true weakness. When it is chronic, it shows how little power we have, or how out of touch with our power we are.
Anger arises from frustration. Frustration arises from attachment to an impression of how things ought to be.
Sometimes anger is appropriate. Sometimes it is dangerous. It is always a luxury which we spend at the expense of our spiritual well being.
Emotions come to us unbidden. Sometimes they stay longer than they should. The trick is to be able to let go of them when they've served their purpose. In order to let go of them we need to be able to recognize our emotions as they are forming in our bodies and minds. This takes practice. Regular meditation is one of the best ways to gain this level of awareness.
Anger makes us think we feel strong, but it is a sign to others of our true weakness. When it is chronic, it shows how little power we have, or how out of touch with our power we are.
Anger arises from frustration. Frustration arises from attachment to an impression of how things ought to be.
Sometimes anger is appropriate. Sometimes it is dangerous. It is always a luxury which we spend at the expense of our spiritual well being.
Emotions come to us unbidden. Sometimes they stay longer than they should. The trick is to be able to let go of them when they've served their purpose. In order to let go of them we need to be able to recognize our emotions as they are forming in our bodies and minds. This takes practice. Regular meditation is one of the best ways to gain this level of awareness.
ANGER
Still struggling with staying out of anger; and dealing with the fear and pain behind it. So, I asked for help and came up with these questions to ask myself. Putting them here keeps me more accountable.
As I become angry what thoughts do I tend to have?
What is the relationship of these ideas to truth?
How do they relate to my sense of security or insecurity?
Do I fool myself in my anger?
Are the things I become angry about projections of my own characteristics onto others?
Can I become more self aware so that I can own these projected thoughts?
Do I hold on to my anger longer than necessary?
How can I let go?
Who does my anger hurt? Is it me?
When I become angry can I pause to ground myself before taking action?
What can I do to remember to take it easier in the face of my rage?
How can I replace my anger with compassion?
As I become angry what thoughts do I tend to have?
What is the relationship of these ideas to truth?
How do they relate to my sense of security or insecurity?
Do I fool myself in my anger?
Are the things I become angry about projections of my own characteristics onto others?
Can I become more self aware so that I can own these projected thoughts?
Do I hold on to my anger longer than necessary?
How can I let go?
Who does my anger hurt? Is it me?
When I become angry can I pause to ground myself before taking action?
What can I do to remember to take it easier in the face of my rage?
How can I replace my anger with compassion?
48 "Musts" in Narcotics Anonymous as found in the Basic Text
48 "Musts" in Narcotics Anonymous as found in the Basic Text
1. "Everything that occurs in the course of N.A. service MUST be motivated by the desire to more successfully carry the message of recovery to the addict who still suffers."- pg. XVI
2. "We MUST always remember that as individual members, groups, and service committees we are not and should never be in competition with each other." pg. XVI
3. "We MUST face our problems and our feelings." - pg. 15
4. "We are people with the disease of addiction who MUST abstain from all drugs in order to recover." -pg. 18
5. "A second admission MUST be made before our foundation is complete." pg. 21 Explanation: It is not enough to admit that we are powerless over drugs, we MUST also admit that our lives had become unmanageable.
6. "We MUST be done with the past and not cling to it." - pg. 28'
7. "Assets MUST also be considered, if we are to get an accurate and complete picture of ourselves." - pg. 28
8. "Although He already knows, the admission MUST come from our own lips to be truly effective. Step five is not simply a reading of step four." - pg. 31
9. & 10. "We MUST carefully choose the person who is to hear our fifth step.' We MUST make sure that they know what we are doing and why we are doing it." - pg. 31
11. "We MUST be exact." - pg. 32
12. " We MUST realize that we are not perfect." - pg. 3 5
13. "Our experience tells us that we MUST become willing before this step will have any effect." - pg. 36 (step eight)
14. "We MUST separate what was done to us from what we did to others." - pg. 37
15. "As with each step we MUST, be thorough." - pg. 38
16. "We MUST remember the pain that they have known." - pg. 40
17. " It is said that for meditation to be of value, the results MUST show in our daily lives." - pg. 46
18. "We MUST give freely and gratefully that which has been freely and gratefully given to us." - pg. 47
19. "Our disease involved much more than just using drugs, so our recovery MUST involve much more than simple abstinence." - 53
20. "We MUST give up this old concept and face the fact that reality and life go on, whether we choose to accept them or not." - 53
21. & 22. "When we are prepared, we MUST try out our newly found way of life. We learn the program won't work when we try to adapt it to our life. We MUST learn to adapt our life to the program." - pg. 55
23. "Unity is a MUST in Narcotics Anonymous." - pg. 60
24. "We MUST live and work together as a group to ensure that in a storm our ship does not sink and our members do not perish." - 60
25. "We MUST be constantly on guard that our decisions are truly an expression of God's will." - pg. 61
26. "An atmosphere of recovery in our groups is one of the most valued assets, and we MUST guard it carefully, lest we lose it to politics and personalities."- pg. 61
27. "We MUST remember that officers have been Placed in trust that we are trusted servants, and that at no time do any of us govern." 61
28. "Our Sixth Tradition tells us some of the things we MUST do to preserve and protect our primary purpose." - pg. 66
29. "We MUST first understand what N.A. is. Narcotics Anonymous is addicts who have the desire to stop using, and have joined together to do so." - pg. 70
30. "In order to achieve our spiritual aim, Narcotics Anonymous MUST be known and respected." - pg. 71
31. "To improve ourselves takes effort and since there is no way in the world to graft a new idea on a closed mind, an opening MUST be made somehow." - pg. 75
32. "We MUST relearn many things that we have forgotten and develop a new approach to life if we are to survive." - pg. 77
33. "We realize we MUST do something." - pg. 78 (read the prior sentences)
34. "When we feel the old urges come over us, we think there MUST be something wrong with us, and that other people in Narcotics Anonymous couldn't possibly understand." - pg. 79
35. "We come here powerless and the power that we seek comes to us through other people in Narcotics Anonymous, but we MUST reach out for it." - pg. 79
36. "Recovery found in Narcotics Anonymous MUST come from within, and no one stays clean for anyone but themselves." - pg. 80
37. "if we have relapsed it is important to keep in mind that we MUST get back
to meetings as soon as possible." - pg. 80
38. "We MUST totally surrender ourselves to the program." - pg. 81
39. "We MUST use what we learn or we will lose it in a relapse." - pg. 81
40. "We MUST, use what we learn or we will lose it, no matter how long we have been clean." - pg. 82
41. "Eventually we are shown that we MUST get honest or we will use again." - pg. 82
42. "We MUST smash the illusion that we can do it alone." - pg. 82
43. "Staying clean MUST always come first." - pg. 82
44. "Some things we MUST accept, others we can change." - pg. 92
45. "We MUST be willing to do whatever is necessary to recover." - pg. 93
46. "We never know when the time will come when we MUST put forth all the effort and strength we have just to stay clean." - pg. 93
47. "No matter how painful life's tragedies can be for us, one thing is clear we MUST not use no matter what!" - pg. 98
48. "In order to receive we MUST be willing to give." - pg. 102
1. "Everything that occurs in the course of N.A. service MUST be motivated by the desire to more successfully carry the message of recovery to the addict who still suffers."- pg. XVI
2. "We MUST always remember that as individual members, groups, and service committees we are not and should never be in competition with each other." pg. XVI
3. "We MUST face our problems and our feelings." - pg. 15
4. "We are people with the disease of addiction who MUST abstain from all drugs in order to recover." -pg. 18
5. "A second admission MUST be made before our foundation is complete." pg. 21 Explanation: It is not enough to admit that we are powerless over drugs, we MUST also admit that our lives had become unmanageable.
6. "We MUST be done with the past and not cling to it." - pg. 28'
7. "Assets MUST also be considered, if we are to get an accurate and complete picture of ourselves." - pg. 28
8. "Although He already knows, the admission MUST come from our own lips to be truly effective. Step five is not simply a reading of step four." - pg. 31
9. & 10. "We MUST carefully choose the person who is to hear our fifth step.' We MUST make sure that they know what we are doing and why we are doing it." - pg. 31
11. "We MUST be exact." - pg. 32
12. " We MUST realize that we are not perfect." - pg. 3 5
13. "Our experience tells us that we MUST become willing before this step will have any effect." - pg. 36 (step eight)
14. "We MUST separate what was done to us from what we did to others." - pg. 37
15. "As with each step we MUST, be thorough." - pg. 38
16. "We MUST remember the pain that they have known." - pg. 40
17. " It is said that for meditation to be of value, the results MUST show in our daily lives." - pg. 46
18. "We MUST give freely and gratefully that which has been freely and gratefully given to us." - pg. 47
19. "Our disease involved much more than just using drugs, so our recovery MUST involve much more than simple abstinence." - 53
20. "We MUST give up this old concept and face the fact that reality and life go on, whether we choose to accept them or not." - 53
21. & 22. "When we are prepared, we MUST try out our newly found way of life. We learn the program won't work when we try to adapt it to our life. We MUST learn to adapt our life to the program." - pg. 55
23. "Unity is a MUST in Narcotics Anonymous." - pg. 60
24. "We MUST live and work together as a group to ensure that in a storm our ship does not sink and our members do not perish." - 60
25. "We MUST be constantly on guard that our decisions are truly an expression of God's will." - pg. 61
26. "An atmosphere of recovery in our groups is one of the most valued assets, and we MUST guard it carefully, lest we lose it to politics and personalities."- pg. 61
27. "We MUST remember that officers have been Placed in trust that we are trusted servants, and that at no time do any of us govern." 61
28. "Our Sixth Tradition tells us some of the things we MUST do to preserve and protect our primary purpose." - pg. 66
29. "We MUST first understand what N.A. is. Narcotics Anonymous is addicts who have the desire to stop using, and have joined together to do so." - pg. 70
30. "In order to achieve our spiritual aim, Narcotics Anonymous MUST be known and respected." - pg. 71
31. "To improve ourselves takes effort and since there is no way in the world to graft a new idea on a closed mind, an opening MUST be made somehow." - pg. 75
32. "We MUST relearn many things that we have forgotten and develop a new approach to life if we are to survive." - pg. 77
33. "We realize we MUST do something." - pg. 78 (read the prior sentences)
34. "When we feel the old urges come over us, we think there MUST be something wrong with us, and that other people in Narcotics Anonymous couldn't possibly understand." - pg. 79
35. "We come here powerless and the power that we seek comes to us through other people in Narcotics Anonymous, but we MUST reach out for it." - pg. 79
36. "Recovery found in Narcotics Anonymous MUST come from within, and no one stays clean for anyone but themselves." - pg. 80
37. "if we have relapsed it is important to keep in mind that we MUST get back
to meetings as soon as possible." - pg. 80
38. "We MUST totally surrender ourselves to the program." - pg. 81
39. "We MUST use what we learn or we will lose it in a relapse." - pg. 81
40. "We MUST, use what we learn or we will lose it, no matter how long we have been clean." - pg. 82
41. "Eventually we are shown that we MUST get honest or we will use again." - pg. 82
42. "We MUST smash the illusion that we can do it alone." - pg. 82
43. "Staying clean MUST always come first." - pg. 82
44. "Some things we MUST accept, others we can change." - pg. 92
45. "We MUST be willing to do whatever is necessary to recover." - pg. 93
46. "We never know when the time will come when we MUST put forth all the effort and strength we have just to stay clean." - pg. 93
47. "No matter how painful life's tragedies can be for us, one thing is clear we MUST not use no matter what!" - pg. 98
48. "In order to receive we MUST be willing to give." - pg. 102
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