A2D - From Addict to Disciple

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Today episode is another group episode. In this group we asked the guys, "What do you need to prove? And, who do you need to prove it to?" I am sure you will be blessed as you identify with what each of the guys had to say.

We we've all heard about carrying baggage and that we should be putting that baggage down. Today is a return of the group episodes and we're going to ask the guys from South Africa, the US, and Australia to share their ideas not on baggage but on stuff that should have been put on a compost pile. Because compost piles turn into fertilizers which can be used to grow and learn from.

Are you stuck in the rut of trying to prove to people that you have changed? They still call you the addict, the black sheep of the family, the loser, etc. Today's episode is a walkabout in It Doesn't Define Me Park. The focus of this episode is to see ways your past can define how people see you today and then how you view your future.

Today's episode looks at a common situation that I run into with guys early in recovery and that is learning to be aware. By this I mean growing in awareness and understanding of how they ended up in addiction and with the consequences of that addiction. This is not about behavior modification, this is about awareness that brings understanding of our wound and finding healing and finding true...

After more than two weeks in the hospital and recovery from three surgeries, I share the things I learned in this extended physical recovery. As you listen to my 12 key points in this recovery I other you to take notes to compare what you're doing in your recovery.

How do you handle the changing winds in recovery? Today we look at various winds that can affect our journey of recovery: contrary winds, hindering winds, head winds, driving winds, etc. We are reminded by an African proverb that "The wind does not break a tree that can bend." We are also reminded that "A tree that refuses to dance will be made to do so by the wind."

Today's episode is the first of two parts in which we look at what keeps you anchored in recovery. Outlining the various aspects of the definition and the purpose of an anchor. And looking at how each of those aspects can be a benefit to our recovery as well as a detriment to our progress in recovery. The pros and cons. Next week we'll look at the winds in recovery.

In today's episode we look at Socrates quote "Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and weak minds discuss people." What are you discussing in your daily conversations? What emotions and feelings do you have about people and events that keep your mind weak. And how do these things weaken your recovery. Take an inventory of "What You Talkin' About?"

Deepak Chopra said "Balance is the secret ingredient to a happy and meaningful life." In this episode we look at that and five other quotes to build our own plan to create balance in our life. We talk about the balance between work and pleasure, between giving and receiving and between seriousness and levity. Get out your journal and start taking action ideas as you build balance in your...

Today's episode looks at the three stages of relapse: emotional relapse, mental relapse and finally physical relapse. We examine ways to recognize problem areas in stages 1 and 2 which result in physical relapse and how to ask for help and intervention to avoid stage 3. The key is continuously improving in our recovery everyday. No interruptions. No hiccups. No weekends off.

Where are you in your recovery? In your life situation? Do you know what your "enough is enough" is? Do you have the courage to rise up and overcome it? Or you like so many guys in recovery who are paralyzed by reluctance, ignorance or fear? I like the quote from The Awakening "Sometimes you reach to a point when enough is enough. Sometimes you have to just be done, just done and no...

In today's episode we look at muscle memory in recovery. Taylor Mali, an American poet and educator, said "The memory is a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets." Join us as we look at four key aspects of this muscle memory: consistency, positivity, steadfastness and endurance. In closing we see that even courage can be a key aspect of our muscle memory for recovery.

Are you convinced that there is no way that you will ever be one to be totally free from addiction? What keeps you resigned to this negative view of your future? In today's episode we look at five areas of loss that can keep us stuck in negativity. Then we flip the script and discuss the "I Can" attitudes that usher in the feelings of Why Not Me? Doubt doesn't have to disappear,...

Today's walkabout episode takes us to Dire Straits Park. We'll look at difficult, desperate and dangerous times that you may have faced in your addiction. Then we'll see what others wrote in the journals about how they survived extreme conditions, made some extreme choices but found their way through the Dire Straits to sail forward in recovery. The quote by American actor Joshua Graha...

Today's episode is the last walkabout in Change Park. This one is on the In The Moment Trail. This trail focuses on staying in the moment, embracing the moment and enjoying the moment, rather than reacting to it. The 5-4-3-2-1 exercise is introduced as a powerful tool to stay in the moment and create a "muscle memory" that we can utilize at any moment.

Are you currently going through a transition or change this year? Perhaps your time in rehab is coming to a close and you need to find a place to live. Maybe you have a job opportunity in another town, state or province. This episode looks at living where you have an opportunity for the best quality of life in 3 aspects: health, happiness and hope. And if you are not moving, you're settled thi...

In today's episode I share messages from five listeners who have contacted to basically say this same thing: Help! I Keep On Relapsing. You will learn a lot from their transparency about the struggle to stay clean and sober without a slip or relapse every 3 months or without findind a new "acceptable" addiction as their comforterg

BOGSAT is the acronym for a Bunch of Guys Sitting Around a Table. This bunch of guys are typically just killing time, having a cigarette or a cup of coffee, checking messages or playing a game on their phone. So it's not a group meeting. It 's a casual, unproductive time with no real focus. In this episode we look at BOGSAT and how we can change it to BOGGAT a Bunch of Guys Growing Around...

Today we are doing another walkabout in Change Park. This time we'll walk on The Game is On Trail. Are you someone who felt that as your family tried to change you it was time to manipulate them to enable you? So as Peter Chenge said "People don't resist change. They resist being changed!" If that's you then this episode is for you.

In today's episode we look at feedback from guys in various stages in recovery. They share their thoughts on where they are going, how did they get there, etc. A key quote we conclude with is by Iyanla Vanzant "Planning is the only way to keep yourself on track. Plan your moments to be joyous. Plan your days to be filled with peace. Plan your life to be an experience of growth. When you k...

Today's episode is a walkabout in Change Park on the Can You See I've Changed Trail. This trail takes us on the difficult, often messy, part of recovery when we have changed but our friends and family don't see it. They don't believe what we're saying. Maybe we've changed, but their still the same. The first quote we'll find on this trail is by Canadian writer Robin Sha...

A Japanese proverb that goes back to Samurai warrior time is "After victory, tighten your helmet cord." This emphasizes that we may have won a battle but that doesn't mean the war is over. In this episode we look at seven ways that we can utilize this proverb as a guide for us in recovery. As stated by Kambei Shimada in Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai," "When y...

Today's episode is a walkabout though I'm Free Park. Are you truly free from addiction? Can you even visualize being free? Friedrich Nietzsche Said "Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves." Enjoy this walkabout as we look and these questions and so much more.

I want to thank my friend Matthew Toth for his insight into the importance of self forgiveness in recovery. Here's a list of 7 points that Matt views as vital as you walk the path of self forgiveness. You can learn more about Matt by searching him on Facebook. He posts often about his walk in recovery and calls ir ODAATwithMatt.