Start your day right!

I start my day with the 3rd step and 7th step prayer, a couple of meditation books and a positive message to myself.  Through the years I have changed the meditation books I use with the exception of one.  Find the one that you will read every day and use it.  Most are inspiring and will set your day in the right direction.  More importantly though is your self talk.   My talk is centered around how GOOD life really is.  Think about your life, think about how blessed you are.  Believe me, if you take a thorough inventory I promise you you will come out with way more positive attributes.  

My suggestion and quite frankly the suggestion of the happiest people on the planet is start the day positive, positive self talk in the now and the future.  You are what you think about, you will be what you think about.  Henry Ford once said, whether you think you can or you think you can"t, you're right!   Creating what you want in life starts with your thoughts.  Keep them positive get positive results.  Keep them positive and you'll get positive feelings.  Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings, positive feelings lead to positive results.

One day at a time remind yourself you are worth it, you are good, you are well, you are alive, you feel great, and you are a champion!!!!

Happy Days,

Dan :)  

If I would have Known... I would not have Grown...

Recently, I spoke with a group of folks in Panama City.  I was sharing about some recent obstacles that I had overcome.  One gentleman asked me how I had the power to go through all of that and still have a positive mental attitude?   

Later that night I was rehashing my days events.  I thought to myself, if I had only known what I was headed for before I made mistakes, I would have....  But then I thought, mistakes offer me the ability to make adjustments in my future actions.   It is human to make mistakes.  It is abusive to use those mistakes against yourself.  

I have found that there are two distinct sets of circumstances surrounding poor choices.  Choices we make with good intentions that just don't work out and those that we make that were selfishly based.   

For those of you battling your moral conscience.  Years ago I was telling two of my favorite friends Diane and Caroline, that I had really screwed something up and that I was doubting my integrity.  I was questioning my intentions.  Caroline made the most profound statement I had ever heard at the time.  She said, Dan, everyone of us has contradictions in our lives.  Wow, I thought to myself, here I am with two of the most integrity based people that I know on the planet and they too have made poor choices and doubted their intentions!  That event was an emotional release for me.   

If your journey has you in turmoil know that you and only you can turn it around.  That is a fact.  Change the way you think about the issue and I promise, you will change the way you feel. When you change the way you feel, you will attract more of what you feel.  

The long and short of it, know and then grow....

Happy growing,

Dan

The needle and the damage done...

Neil Young song a song in the 70's "Needle and the Damaga Done". But what if the damage has nothing to do with substance abuse? What if my impulsive behaviors have created hurt feelings or worse yet, some real damage? The same rules apply, use your tools, start with step 10 recognize, admit, amend and apologize. Make sure you talk to your mentors about what you have learned and what measures you need to use to truly amend your behavior. Use the information in your reflection to avoid the decisions that created the challenge. Then move on, focus on what is right, focus on what matters, focus on where you are going.... Beating yourself up does absolutely no good, it creates paralysis and heads you towards more unwanted results.

Put what you want in front of you, keep it there and go seize it....

You are a winner,


Dan :)

Weathering the storm

Our whole approach to recovery is focusing on what we want and where we are heading.  Focusing on our problems brings more of the same.  It is not rocket science, everywhere you turn these days there is a guru that will tell you the same thing.  Focus on what you want.  If you focus on your bills or the debt you are in, that is what you will get, debt!  If you focus on divorce, guess what you will get?  

In the field of addiction recovery there is a propensity and quite frankly a necessity to "look back".  In 12 step programs it would be the 4th and 5th step and the 8th and 9th step.  These steps are absolutely critical to a life long and fulfilling recovery.  They are steps that are taken for two reasons; a) as an inventory of our actions for the means to amend those actions. b) as a cleansing of the mind and spirit.  They are not lifelong steps, they are meant to be taken and then shaken!

Step 10 is the gateway to long term balance. Taking a daily inventory and if we have hurt another individual an immediate amends is called for and "Gratitude".  An inventory is both good decisions and actions as well as the bad decisions or actions we have made during the past 24 hours.    

So what do I mean about "Weathering the Storm"?  It is simple (not easy) it is focusing on what I want, focusing on where I am going, focusing on the good in me, my gratitude and taking one step at a time towards my goals and dreams.

Jack Canfield author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, says in the DVD "The Secret" (which I highly recommend you watch at least 30 times in 30 days, you can find it at www.thesecret.tv) We all have challenges in our lives, we have all had the bad breaks, { that includes alcoholism and drug addiction challenges}, there is a list a mile long of what people endure in their formative years.  In fact, the gurus you see, read and/or hear about, the odds are that they have weathered these same storms and overcome them.  That is why they are the gurus, they have walked the walk that they talk!  Jack calls those issues, "So What"!!!

Bottom line is , focus on what you want, set goals and dreams, take an inventory, and part of that inventory is "Gratitude" for what we have and/or accomplished, and walk with your head held high with a mission to accomplish!

Be Blessed,

Dan Callahan :)

www.TheLastResortPa.org