"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

These encouraging words, from beloved author Dr. Seuss, are true gems for people in recovery. It seems to me that often what drives a person to self-medicate is a feeling or memory that is too painful to bear. Certainly there is nothing more wrenching emotionally than a sense of loss, whether it is the departure of someone cherished, or an experience that has come to an end.

Seuss teaches us that endings do not have to be so woeful. We… Continue

One of the things I have been focusing on in my thinking and writing recently is all the many beautiful sayings and prayers of the recovery movement, and what you discover when you meditate on the meaning of each one. For me, what "Letting Go and Letting God" means is creating space in your life for good things to happen.

Do you ever notice that anxiety or other emotional imbalances push us to fill up the spaces in our lives? It might be a silent moment in a conversation that one feels compelle… Continue

I didn't come to be "preachy" in fact if I wrote anything going off of the way I am feeling at this very moment, I'd be on my way to pity party central! Yet because I don't "feel" joyful or happy or even good about my circumstances lately, I feel the need to do something uncharacteristic of most of us (by us I mean me! :) ). I'm gonna praise my way out of these blues. Someone said to count your blessings one by one....I have so many it would take several blogs to start just at the beginning of t… Continue

I didn't come to be "preachy" in fact if I wrote anything going off of the way I am feeling at this very moment, I'd be on my way to pity party central! Yet because I don't "feel" joyful or happy or even good about my circumstances lately, I feel the need to do something uncharacteristic of most of us (by us I mean me! :) ). I'm gonna praise my way out of these blues. Someone said to count your blessings one by one....I have so many it would take several blogs to start just at the beginning of t… Continue

I am not that naive to belive that there aren't challenges faced on a daily basis by many. Yet you have those moments when you think you are the only one in a struggle. I find myself at that cross road. I went into a situation with pure intentions, gave up and sacrificed somethings for the sake of another, and now find myself on the outs of what turns out to have been a no win scenerio. Saying it hurts is putting it mildly. My family is disillusioned, my spouse questions himself. I wish I could… Continue

One of the hardest things I have found out about myself is that I am my own worst critic and the road to self love isn't always a smooth one. I find myself wanting to be the bigger man or take the high road when the stresses of my life hit me like a ton of bricks, but ultimately, being honest with myself about where I am at this very moment is the best form of love I can give to myself. I feel like heck. I am manic depressive and for lack of insurance unable to continue on my meds. I've turned t… Continue

We live in a world of conflict. We perceive it as coming from other people, but much of our conflict originates in our own minds. It may seem that others are against us, but it's usually coming from within ourselves.
We have already determined that our thoughts come first and then our actions follow, but if we can get a pattern of actions going, they can sometimes influence our thoughts.
One of the very first things our program teaches us is not to react to everything. That's about choosing not… Continue

A Boy Longs To Play

Hidden inside, a little boy longs to play;
surrounded by things that were lost and
can never be replaced. Happiness stolen, it wasn’t
supposed to be this way.

Trapped by the insanity, and the scars of yesterday;
no one on earth could possibly know his pain.
Life so full of hurt, why did he even stay;
the belt so tight and the air cut off, but fear
stood in his way.

With no one to turn too, and his joy taken away,
how would he break free, how could he join any game.… Continue

My journey towards becoming a strong and healthy survivor lasted for a little over a year. It was something I worked on everyday and for the majority of all my waking hours throughout that year, give or take a few each day for the normal eating, bathing type stuff. I had just left a job as a CFO over two companies, and was now writing my first book full time.

It is hard sometimes to see the path that God has before us, and sometimes we have to keep moving forward on faith alone. I knew that God… Continue

I am The Survivor



Tonight I will stand before a crowd of people and announce that I am a Survivor. It is a fact that I want the whole world to hear.
Wearing my signature bandanna, red white and blue, I will appear too many as a rough and scary looking man. As I sit before the audience, waiting for the speaking to begin, opinions will start to form as to who I am. Some will see a druggie, a fighter, or a loser from the streets. Others will think I am edgy, shady, or perhaps even a thief. Few i… Continue