Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

August 7, 2017

“To experience peace does not mean that your life is always blissful.  It means that you are capable of tapping into a blissful state of mind amidst the normal chaos of a hectic life.” –Jill Bolte Taylor

It is unrealistic to assume that because we have acknowledged our addiction, have found or are working on sobriety, or are actively in recovery the world and individuals around us will automatically change to support us in this process.  The initial expectation is not that we will no longer experience triggers but that we can experience triggers and use our program to move past them.  Chaos will occasionally come into our lives and this cannot be avoided.  However, recovery is not about chaos leaving us but about us finding an inner place of acceptance that allows us to stay grounded while the chaos moves over us.  Do not focus on the events in your life, focus on your experience of those events.

When have I focused on the events in my life?  When have I been angry that the events in my life were not what I wanted or expected?  What gifts await me as I learn to find inner peace when the events in my life are chaotic?