Recover Your Soul: A Spiritual Path to a Happy and Healthy Life

There is a time in our lives when we are picking up more and more responsibility for all the right reasons- family, work, and play. It is not a bad thing to be a responsible person. However, for many of us, we take that responsibility too far and believe that we are responsible for other's lives, emotions, well being, and even their recovery. This is when our desire to fix and control others...

This Bonus Episode first aired for the Apple Podcast Subscribers and Patreon Members on February 25th, 2022.  I wanted to share this along with the other episodes for 7 weeks that were a book study on some of the Al-Anon topics important to Soul Recovery as a Bonus to the community. We are taking a deeper dive into our Soul Recovery and working directly from the book "How Al-Anon Works for Fa...

My husband Rich had a rock fall and cut off a third of his finger recently.  For a craftsman, musician and athlete- this has been a life changing injury.  This episode is a vulnerable conversation about the trauma he experienced, and how his foundation in Soul Recovery and spirituality is helping him through the roller coaster of emotions as he heals.  For more information about Rev. Rachel Harris...

This Bonus Episode first aired for the Apple Podcast Subscribers and Patreon Members on February 18th, 2022.  I wanted to share this along with the other episodes for the next 7 weeks that were a book study on some of the Al-Anon topics important to Soul Recovery. We are taking a deeper dive into our Soul Recovery and working directly from the book "How Al-Anon Works for Families and Friends...

In Soul Recovery we turn the attention to our selves knowing that with inner change- outer change in our lives will follow.  In a moment of stress recently, I asked Higher Power to help me see the situation differently. The words that came to me were... "It is as I choose to see it." This was clearly a foundational message of Soul Recovery. We can choose how we are going to see the world...

Being an addict has been a hard journey.  Having addicted children has been painful too.  Al-Anon and Soul Recovery have taught me to turn the attention to myself and to focus on my personal recovery, and allow those around me to have their own experience.  This episode is a conversation with my youngest adult Son, Bodhi Harrison.  It was so great to have him in town and I wanted to sit down and h...

Blame has two sides- the side where we blame others for our lives, and wanting them to be different for us to be happy. The other is blaming ourselves for how other people's lives are or have turning out.  Both sides of the blame coin can rob us from being happy because we are allowing the need for control to get in the way.  Soul Recovery is about learning to turn the attention to ourselves...

In Soul Recovery we are given an opportunity to rediscovery who we are without all the interference of negative outside influence.  Most of us have taken our value from what others think of us, needing validation, approval and even permission from others.  Self-Worth, Self-Esteem and happiness are inside jobs, however recognizing this and taking the steps to rediscover who you really are in a heal...

There are different types of power and strength- the type that harms and the type that heals.  Soul Recovery is a Spiritual Path to a happy and healthy life, and so this episode is about our Spiritual Superpowers.   Surrendering to your Higher Power and allowing the healing and protection that comes from using Spiritual Power and Strength in your life.  We have free will and can choose to turn the...

Having a child with addiction is not easy for any parent.  My Son had the genetics for drug and alcohol addiction and was raised by alcoholic parents, so it is not surprising that this has been an issue in his life. As a recovered addict, it has been painful to watch his life be  difficult as I worked my Soul Recovery to let him find his own path.  The great news is that since the beginning of the...

The first time I stepped into an Al-Anon meeting I was hoping to learn how to get my husband to stop drinking, my son to stop using and get some support for my unhappiness.  What I found was something even better... I rediscovered myself and the ability to be happy even when those around me are not.   Soul Recovery is a combination of what I learned in Alanon and through my spiritual studies. It i...

My husband used to tell me that I was a 'being a dream killer' when he would share his ideas on home remodels.  I thought I  was being practical.  It was like we were speaking different languages and there always ended up being hurt between us.  Then I learned that we were indeed speaking different languages- he was speaking 'dream' and I was speaking 'decision', no w...

It can be hard to see how we may have harmed someone or why we should make an amend when we feel deeply hurt by others in our lives.  In this episode we talk about how amends offer healing in our Recover Your Soul Journey.  When we can take responsibility for all of our behaviors as we continue to turn the attention to ourselves, we open to even deeper self forgiveness and peace in our lives.  We...

Marriage and raising children is hard no matter what. Add addiction and control issues to the mix and it can be painful for everyone involved and tear a family apart.  In this episode I talk about the experience we had in our family and the part I played in the triangulation that only increased the disfunction between my husband, myself  and our kids.  In Soul Recovery, we turn the attention to ou...

In this episode Seth Larson of the band Something Underground and new dad- shares on his Soul Recovery journey including a choice to stop playing a victim,  learning to be okay when he or others are uncomfortable, and not taking things personally- just to name a few of our conversation topics. The end of the episode includes the track 'Love Each Other' that I wrote a few years ago. Seth...

Everything we think, feel and do is funneled through the belief systems we have about ourselves.  We may not even actually know what those beliefs are, but it is likely that they are still holding you back because they are based on fear.  It is time to take a look at those old, tired, and untrue beliefs and let them go. It is time for an update!!! For more information about Rev. Rachel Harrison an...

I spent many years afraid to actually feel emotions for fear that they would be too painful. When I started my Soul Recovery, I discovered that there is great blessings and power in allowing those emotions, and that they are actually helping to guide me along my path.  I realized that we have an Emotional Guidance System and we can use it like our GPS to give us directions and choose our final des...

Many of us are plagued with persistent and excessive worry and fear- otherwise known as anxiety. It is a word we throw around and even claim as who we are.  In Soul Recovery we are learning to let go of fear and worry and begin to trust that a power greater than ourselves is guiding us- even when times are difficult or feel overwhelming.  It is not easy, but we can slowly begin to do the work of S...

I wanted to share the talk I gave as the Minster at my Spiritual Center inspired by 'The Gifts of Imperfection' by Berne Brown.  The topic was the 6th guidepost of the gifts: Creativity.  I love that Berne invites us to be venerable, authentic, and...imperfect.  You may say "I am not creative", but I disagree- we are ALL creative in our own unique and special ways if we open up...

I have been offering a book study on 'How Al-Alanon Works for Friends and Families of Alcoholics' for the Bonus Friday episodes with Apple Subscribers and Patreon Members for the last month.  When it came time to read and reflect on the sections on Personal Boundaries and Detachment, I knew that this needed to be an episode for the Monday Podcast as these are foundational tools in Soul R...

Our suffering and discomfort often comes from our wish for others to change or be or do things  differently.  We think that if they would just change we could finally be happy.  However, when we put the emphasis on others to change for us to be happy, we are giving our power  away to where we have no control.  By turning the attention to ourselves, and being responsible for our own happiness our l...

What does it mean to trust Higher Power and to listen to the guidance that is being given to each of us the unique an amazing souls we are?  We are often afraid to follow the guidance because our judge and inner critic is trying to keep us from stepping out into the unknown that is uncertain and out of our control.  In this episode I explore that that the ideas we have, the ones that are driving u...

In my Soul Recovery I have had the opportunity to look honestly at my self, all of myself- even my blind spots and short comings. Actually recognizing those aspects of myself and taking responsibility for my thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions has changed the way I interact with the world.  It turns out that the blind spots I was afraid to see, have become gifts of transformation. For more informat...

"Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we'll ever do."   Berne Brown 4 years ago I was in a depression and had lost hope for a better life.  I was deep in my addictions of drinking, codependence, people pleasing and trying to control world around me.  I had completely lost myself in the darkness of a life that felt out of control and unmanag...

Everyday I come back to step 1 of the 12 steps of recovery- Admitted we were powerless (over our addiction) - that our lives had become unmanageable.  This speaks to me on so many levels, as an alcoholic, with Al-Anon, as a codependent, and with the world as a whole.  But the start of the healing process, the Soul Recovery process comes when we can admit that we are powerless and begin to let go t...