Addiction & Recovery
During a recent recovery training class I attended the teacher asked the following question: Who is the person that all addiction professionals have the hardest time helping? The answers were coming fast, and all were wrong according to him. Some said “meth-heads,” others said “methadone addicts,” and other answers consisted of bulimics, anorexics, over-eaters, cigarette-smokers, etc. The professor just kept shaking his head no. Finally someone gave the answer he was looking for: co-dependents. There was a collective sigh of agreement from the room when the answer was given.
The human ego is our outward expression of who we think we are. Ego is what we show to the world. A Course in Miracles defines ego as “nothing more than a part of your belief about yourself.” Of course, for the most part, our belief about our self is almost always very limited and oftentimes incorrect. Nonetheless, it is a critical part of who we are and how we experience life here.
So one of the most difficult things to get across to someone who has been affected by the behaviors of their loved ones is that they have been negatively impacted much in the same way that their loved ones are. When the topic of co-dependency comes up with a family member of an addict or abuser, the answer we get is almost always the same: “I am not the one with the problem; they are!”
It sure is easy to see it that way, too. The alcoholic/drug addict has clear and definitive symptoms. Their lying, stealing, scrapes with the law, loss of jobs and relationships directly relate to addiction. Yeah, addicts are pretty much out in the open with their disease, but guess what? They don’t see it themselves. And the same is true for co-dependents. They do not see the destructive nature of their behavior but, most people around them do.
For the outsiders, co-dependent behavior is baffling. Many say, why won’t she just leave him? Or how many chances will he give her? Or I can’t believe they put up with that kind of behavior. Rational people cannot grasp what keeps the co-dependent repeating self-destructive behaviors.
My heart goes out to the sufferers of co-dependency. The longing for love lost is heartbreaking to witness.
When an addict takes his first drink or drug, they have no idea they are going to become enslaved and addicted to it. At some level, however, we understand that what we are doing could have some serious consequences. When a person falls in love with an addict or an abuser or a person with a narcissistic personality, they are much more unaware that they have become collateral damage to the disease of addiction.
To some degree, addiction is contagious.
How can a person’s thinking not be affected by the unpredictable behavior of their loved ones? Our ego, in many cases, attaches ownership to our significant others. We feel responsible for their behavior and their public image. Soon we begin to lie to cover for them. Not to protect them. Usually by that point we don’t care much about them anymore. No, we do it to protect us. We don’t want anyone to see that we don’t have it all together.
This is the point our ego becomes the obstacle we must overcome. And sadly, many do not. If only we in the helping community could get the point across that when we have one finger pointing at someone else, there are always 3 pointing right back at us. Try it and see. No, the thumb doesn’t count!
What I would like to get across here in this blog and in my life’s work is that recovery from anything is really our human quest. Staying the same, remaining unchanged, attempting to uphold an image of perfection goes against what the human experience is all about. We are here to grow and experience all there is and as much of it as possible.
Sadly, what happens to all too many of us is that we end up experiencing the same things over and over again. After 50, 60, 70 years of that, many are so done with it they just wish life would end. I don’t feel it needs to be this way. I have met countless people now in my 26 years of recovery; and for the most part, these people are living and enjoying life again.
Being in a place of actively welcoming change into your life is a magical place. Breaking down the walls of ego and being transparent with your life is a gift from the soul. We can’t learn anything if we are always right. We can’t receive compassion from others if we hide our pain and sorrow. We can’t experience love others until we learn to love ourselves.
Co-dependency, like addiction, is not a derogatory identity to have. It is merely the path we have chosen to take on this particular journey through the physical. We have been here before; and undoubtedly, we will be here again.
If this article has struck a chord with you please feel free — no, feel inspired to comment below. Be the one who starts the conversation. Be the source of recovery from the destructive thought patterns that limit our experience here in the physical realm. This is your invitation.
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation. You can visit his website Life After Addicton for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
This is that special time of year when we dream about peace. We visualize prosperity and proclaim that old acquaintance be forgot. We experience the giving and receiving of gifts and most people find themselves feeling rather charitable. Yes, compassion fills our hearts and olive branches are extended. The world’s armies put down their guns and break bread with their opponents. We all come together and unite for a fleeting moment on Christmas Day.
Well, at least that is how all the songs and movies depict it anyway. What actually happens for many this time of year doesn’t quite fit the bill of “joyful and triumphant!” Many people find themselves stressed over the financial burden of the holidays or the pressure to purchase the perfect gift for their special someone. How could I not mention those in recovery and those who are still suffering with addictions?
This time of year can be very challenging to the newly sober person. There are Christmas parties where even casual drinkers drink too much. The expectation is to let loose and live it up. For a recovering person, this isn’t an option and most people can’t understand that. For those with addiction, one is too many and a thousand is never enough.
But the end of the year is a great time to reflect over the past twelve months. It is good to look at our lives from time to time and decide what is working for us and what is not. For many, we will look at our physical condition and decide that it is time to make some changes. Come January 2nd, the gyms, yoga studios, Pilates classes and the YMCA will be standing room only for three or four weeks.
Deep inside, all of us are yearning for the same things: happiness, joy, contentment, peace, and freedom. We just have no idea how to get it. Does it come from things? Does it come from others? If you love me, will everything be okay? Do we attain happiness from money, food, sex, drugs, being right? What is it? And why do we have such a difficult time finding it and holding on to it?
I believe we have set up a system of living that just flat out doesn’t work. Most would say, “If I had more money, I would be happy.” The facts simply don’t prove that. Very few people who win the lottery actually find happiness. Many end up in a deeper pit of despair in a very short time.
Happiness is a decision. Not a simple one, I might add, but it is a decision. And it would seem many of us are simply incapable of making that decision. Why do you think that is? Is it our ego? Are we hardwired for “my way or the highway”? Isn’t it time we break out of the “do it my way or else” paradigm?
I believe that we are becoming more conscious with time. I can look as far as my own life and see that my own beliefs have changed drastically since I was a child. I have expanded my view of the world and strive to continue to do so. I can also see in the children of today that they appear to be well-equipped to take us to a higher place.
I choose to believe we are going there. In fact, I believe we are already there; we just don’t know it yet. When asked, “Why do you strive to change the world’s view of God?” my reply is simple. It would appear to me that the world’s perspective of what God is and wants for us isn’t working. Now, I am not going to force my belief on anyone, but I do not hesitate to bring it up in conversation when I see the opportunity. I know my perspective of God changed, so why can’t others? Why can’t we all keep an open, flowing, and ever-willing-to-change view of God?
Let me ask you this: If given the opportunity to be right or be happy, which would you take? Now to take that one step further. If all you had to do was consider that what you believe to be true about God may not be the whole truth, and by doing so could bring you to a higher state of happiness, joy and freedom, would you take it?
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation. You can visit his website here for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
Thoughts are creative.
“Does this mean all of our thoughts? Every single thing we think, every minute, all day long?
No. And it is important to understand this. Otherwise we’ll wind up making our-selves crazy, trying to monitor every single thought that runs through our mind.
And that is an interesting phrase: “runs through.” If a thought “runs through” your Mind, it does just that. It runs through.
MOST thoughts DO that. They run through our mind like water through a sieve. Such thoughts have very little creative power. They’re moving through our Mind too quickly to build up enough energy to impact physicality.
It is only those thoughts that stick in our Mind that have power. What gives our thoughts power is the repeated thinking of them.
This places energy upon energy, building it up until it really MATTERS. That is: energy becomes physical matter.
SO!!!… if you notice that an idea is running through your Mind that you don’t like…. DON’T GIVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT. I mean that literally!
It’s your second thought that gives it power. (To say nothing of your third, fourth, and fifth thought.) If you repeatedly think something, you can be sure that you are magnifying its power.
This is the same thing as a thought being held in Mind not only ONCE… but by A LOT OF PEOPLE at the SAME TIME. This, too, magnifies the power of thought.
That is why collective prayer works.” Neale Donald Walsch.
Cravings, urges, compulsions, and obsessions are nothing more than our minds giving second, third, fourth, fifth etc… thoughts to an idea that should have just ran through our mind. When we can harness the power of recognizing a thought that no longer represents who we say we are, and make a decision not to pay attention to it, we remove energy from the negative and turn it into a positive.
And it is what we are Be-ing that is so very important in our existence here. Most of us think we are doing sobriety and that can indicate that sobriety is only a temporary state for us. When we decide it is our state of BEING, it becomes a permanent character attribute, one that we should wear on our sleeves so to speak.
Creating successful transformations from any patterned behavior requires an initial period of discipline before the newly chosen behavior becomes the norm. We perform regular functions so often, many times we find we do them without even thinking about them.
This is what I have found to be true of recovery. In the beginning I would entertain thoughts of using. What kept me from acting those out? I was also learning new behavior at the time. The new behavior I was learning was to seek help with my thinking problem. Sharing with other like-minded people, that I was having these thoughts, removed the power from them.
Over time, many months to over a year, the thoughts of using drugs or alcohol became less and less. To the point where, I can honestly say, I do not think about that anymore — ever. I am keenly aware, however, that the absence of cravings or obsession does not make me somehow “fixed” of my addictive nature.
You can see why a program of recovery from addictive or compulsive behaviors suggests that a person go to meetings on a daily basis. When we place our-selves in the rooms with other like-minded people, we are not only building energy upon our new sober thinking, but we are using the collective thoughts of the group to strengthen our resolve.
In order to manifest your hearts desires you must follow some simple steps.
- You must believe it is possible.
- You must acknowledge you are capable of creating it.
- You must set your thoughts in motion to creating this.
- You must be disciplined in keeping your mind focused on the task.
- Keeping in mind there is no such thing as time; remember to be grateful that what you wish already exists. In the program we call this “acting as if.”
Many times we allow our impatience to sidetrack us from our goals. We tire of all the work and no apparent movement towards our respective task. Ultimately, we give up and say things like, “oh well, it just wasn’t meant to be.” I call hogwash on the concept of “meant to be.” If some things are “meant to be”, then, others would be “not meant to be.”
If that is the case then we really do not have free will and we are simply the pawn in some sick twisted game being played out by a higher life form. If you believe the latter, you may want to ask yourself; what would the purpose of physicality be for the creator of all of this?
I am aware of the challenges of being disciplined in our thoughts. Negativity can creep in and take way our momentum. I find a few things can help to keep us on our path.
- Having a vision board
- Having an accountability buddy
- Being involved in a group of like-minded people.
- Starting the day with a reminder that what you wish is already in existence
- Ending the day with thanks for the experience of the journey
- Taking at least one action per day towards your goal
These are just a few of the ways we can remain true to our commitments. If you have others please feel free to share them in the comments section below. What works for you? What hasn’t worked? How can we support you? How can you support us?
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation. You can visit his website here for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
All of our thoughts are creative. We have countless numbers of thoughts in our head daily, yet we only give special attention to some of them. Most of us tend to spend our time entertaining the same thoughts day in, day out. In this way our life and reality never seems to change. Doors we wish would open remain impenetrable. Feelings of lack of purpose and fulfillment follow us in all we do.
What were to happen if we simply tried to pay attention to another thought about our self, our life, and our God? What if we intentionally begin each day conjuring up a positive, expanded, grand perspective of what life is really all about?
Is anyone willing to try this? How about giving it seven days? Wake up and tell yourself that life is conspiring in your favor, and events are lining up to bring your reality to a whole new level. Try repeating it seven times looking into your own eyes in the mirror.
Are you having a hard time manifesting something? Is it sobriety? Is it happiness? Is it true love? Is it passion? Is it desire to make an impact? What would you really like to manifest in your world?
I cannot promise you that you will end up with a BMW or house of your dreams overnight. What I can tell you is that you can improve your state of mind, your health, and your energy by consciously directing your thoughts in a direction that is counter to your current thinking habits.
Have you tried making “I am” statements? The universe will move mountains to see to it they are realized. Are you looking to improve a health condition? “I am healthy.” Do you wish to be happy? “I am Joyful.” Do this seven times a day for seven days and see if anything changes.
Do you want to see these things become part of your reality quicker? If so, do the things that a healthy person or happy person would do. Healthy people exercise or choose healthy foods. I find for me that simply purchasing organic foods makes me feel healthy. Happy people greet other people with a smile or kind words. Happy people go out of their way to share their happiness with others. They know that by doing so they get to experience their own happiness because people will always reflect that back to them.
If this article sounds like a pep talk it is because I have been practicing this myself and it works. Just today I was greeted by a person who seemed grumpy and irritated. My first reaction was to shut him out and just get my job done. But a little voice in my head told me to open up and start a conversation with him. By the end of our time together he had put his hand on my back and his other out to shake my hand wishing me a good day. It was a complete reversal of attitude from 30 minutes prior.
So many times in life we are tempted to respond to others with the same energy they give us. When we look to rise above our initial thought and step into a state of being that is engaging, it never fails to produce harmony. We have the power in every single interaction to control, to some degree, the level of vibration.
Will you take the seven and seven challenge? Seven times a day for seven days, decide ahead to be different, to be creative, and to be powerful. You can be in alignment with the universe simply by staying focused and committed.
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation. You can visit his website here for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
Bill Clinton said that, and he was right. So why do I bring this up now, almost 21 years later? America has a new cash crop, hemp, also known as marijuana. Legal to farm for the first time since 1906, hemp farming is off and running. Hemp is slightly different than marijuana, the difference being that hemp is bred to not include Tetrahydrocannabinol, THC. Cannabis, otherwise known as pot, is also being harvested for the first time in the US.
With the evolution of the medical marijuana laws now moving towards legalization for recreational use, we now have a new form of income that was previously only available on street corners and back alleys. In theory, this should help to eliminate some of the drug-related violence as it pertains to marijuana sales.
So this begs the bigger question for our society: Why not legalize all drugs? Why would we limit the huge profits being made to criminals only? Could our bureaucracies come up with a system of regulation that would be acceptable in a civilized society? It is my opinion that the way some municipalities, like Venice, California, for example, regulate the sale of pot is not acceptable.
The glamorization of drugs is dangerous to children. This has been proven to be the case by the results of lawsuits against big tobacco. Any advertising or “in your face” sale of drugs is not responsible for a society that calls itself civilized.
Commonsense spirituality would tell us any behavior that negatively impacts others is not coming from who we really are. The economy can benefit from our allowing our fellow man to choose freely what he or she puts into their body. The economy should not be the primary reason for legalization; our inalienable right to choose should be. Ultimately, allowing for free choice in society will increase the speed in which we evolve into our next grandest form and vision.
Having a flourishing economy will also expedite human evolution. As it stands, the wealth being created by the sale and distribution of illegal drugs is being hoarded by the ruthless, dark side of mankind. Once mainstreamed, the profits and tax money will help our governments provide more services to more of the world’s people in need.
The financial impact from this alone could create the space for the majority of our population to experience financial security or at the very least giving us the upper hand in eliminating poverty and malnutrition.
Some will say that we are not responsible enough to manage this without it becoming the downfall of society and having everyone strung out on drugs. May I point out that alcohol is legal and nobody seems to have a problem with that?
I trust that by giving the people freedom to choose and experience the results of their choice we tend to find our own power. When we remember that we are the source of our choices and the resulting consequences, we begin to see the world in a new way.
Money is the method we have chosen to be our energy exchange for goods and services. It is not the root of all evil, as some would say. It is merely the means for us to experience some of the opportunities life has to offer.
Bill Clinton had it right, it is the economy. When the people experience abundance our happiness, the group is lifted. When we are happy and abundant, we tend to be more giving of our abundance to others. We have been in this period of greed and hoarding known as recession for far too long. It is time to experience the truth – we have enough for everyone.
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specalizing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation. You can visit his website here for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
(This week’s Addiction & Recovery column is hosting a guest article written and contributed by Nicole Lewis.)
“We know perfectly well how to be spiritual. It’s being human that we have trouble with.” – Renee Bledsoe
I used to be under the impression that addiction and spirituality were mutually exclusive. In the midst of another self-destructive moment, I could easily scoff at the idea that someone…anyone, with an addiction, especially myself, could have an iota of spirituality in their body.
Fortunately, I was misinformed about not only myself and others, but about spirituality as well. As someone who has several years of sobriety under her belt, I can stand on the sober side of addiction and say, unequivocally, that addiction and spirituality are inexorably intertwined.
I believe that we all feel the same deep sense of connection; a primal urge that pulls us toward community and fellowship, the desire to feel wanted and accepted by others, and the unwavering notion that there has to be something — more. I believe this is our spirituality beckoning to us. It is the part of ourselves which is connected to all of life. It is the aspect within us which compels us to seek an answer which, at times, feels just beyond our grasp. Addiction convinces the addict that this yearning is something within us which is broken. We crave an end to the longing. We await the feeling of relief which comes from the addiction, even if only temporarily. Caught in the cycle of addiction, we strive only to fill—repair—numb. It becomes easier to live in the certainty of the addiction than in the uncertainty of our spirituality. And so, as the vicious cycle of addiction wreaks havoc on us, we are nonetheless comforted in the brief periods when we have managed to suppress our eternal knowing one more time. We become strangely comforted by our despair and made whole by our torment, for they are certain. It is when the numbness fades and the deep pull returns that we are thrust back into the uncertainty. The cycle of addiction seeks to smother the very essence of what it means to be part of this amazing co-creative experience that we call life.
Through sobriety, I have learned that our spirituality is not something that can be quantified or measured. It is our essence. The longing within each of us is our shared connection to something grander than we can imagine. Admittedly, this can be a scary idea. Nevertheless, it is neither a void which needs filling nor a force which requires suppressing. I have learned to embrace this aspect of myself and by doing so, have become comfortable with the feeling. It is the exhilaration of knowing, at an innate level, that I am safe, connected and loved. Ultimately, the darkness of my addiction could not stand the light of this revelation.
(Nicole Lewis is a life coach. She is a grateful recovering alcoholic with 5 ½ years of sobriety. To connect with Nicole, please email her at theinfiniteiamllc@gmail.com)
My life is in a period of transition, and I couldn’t be happier. Change is inevitable and oftentimes met with resistance. Spiritual teachers profess that happiness can be maintained through life changes by letting go of our resistance to them. Suffering is the result of our unwillingness to accept the transformations as they occur. Mastery is the result of intentionally inviting change into our lives.
Suffering is the result of our unwillingness to accept the transformations as they occur.
I have reached the point of mastery in my trade without really even knowing I was doing so. 18 years ago, I had my own business subcontracting window treatment installations for decorators and designers in a highly affluent area of New York. I was very good with my hands and was very successful as a drapery and blind installer. I had trained to be an interior plantation shutter installer and fell in love with doing those installations. The pay was fantastic, but it was the physical challenges and rewards I really loved.
Very quickly I became the number one installer in the greater New York area, receiving recommendations by the top shutter manufactures and their wholesalers. Shutters where not terribly popular in the Northeast back then. And to this day, they still are not nearly as sought after there as they are in the southern and western states of the U.S. But it was my dream to be just a shutter installer full time.
My business was very successful and financially rewarding. I enjoyed being my own boss. At the young age of 30, I was doing pretty well.
One day, my then wife came home with the news that she had a great offer to work for a large entertainment company in Orlando, Florida. She asked me if I was willing to move, and without hesitation, I said yes! I had never really considered moving from New York, especially to Florida, but I knew that Florida was a good market for shutters. Three months later, I was living in the Sunshine State.
As soon as I hit the ground in Orlando, I cracked open the phone book and started calling shutter companies to see if any of them needed an installer. I landed a job the very next day.
My time at that job was very short, as I did not resonate with the owner and the product they were using. I had grown accustomed to working with the very finest shutters in the business and found my standards to be above what that company was used to. So I turned to the company that had been recommended to me and I gave them a call. Two days later, I would start working for them.
It has now been 18 years for me with that company and I feel blessed beyond words to have had the opportunity to do what I truly love doing. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I manifested my desires and the universe was more than willing to oblige me. I have mastered my trade at the highest level because I followed my passion and truly believed that it was possible for me when the opportunity to move presented itself.
I have now come full circle with installing shutters. I have worked in every aspect of the shutter industry and feel that my time here is nearly complete. A little over a year ago, I went to my employer and told him that I was beginning to prepare for my next career and that I would likely only be with him for another year. Now, that year has turned into almost 2, but my plans have not changed. I told him that the one last thing I wished to accomplish was training a suitable replacement for myself.
I can feel the universe lining up once again in my favor as I invite this change fearlessly into my life. For the last two weeks, I have been training a new installer, and it appears that he may, in fact, have the very same drive I had over 18 years ago.
A dear friend once told me that he would much rather initiate change in his own life than have life impose its changes upon him. I couldn’t agree more. I understand that sometimes change comes in uninvited.
All change is for the better, and even though we may not see that, time will always reveal this great truth. Today, when I was remembering my decision to move to Florida, I saw the perfection in life and knew that it wasn’t simply luck or coincidence; it was the result of pure desire and passion. If time has not revealed the gift of your change, you are simply not ready to view it yet.
I eagerly await the transition that I am currently under. At times I think, “Why isn’t this coming faster?” “What am I doing wrong?” And then I look back and realize that it just isn’t time yet. I am doing all the right things. How do I know this? Because once again, I am following my passion and my desire, and experience tells me this works.
I try to do something every day that moves me in the direction that I desire to go. I surround myself with people who will support me in my journey. I have taken courses to expand my knowledge of the industry I am choosing to be in and feel prepared to seamlessly transition into my next career. Indeed, I am already doing it!
We are powerful creators as human beings. Many times we do not credit ourselves enough for the things in our life that bring us joy. Without having the belief that these things can be ours, we will never have them.
Join us Path to Peace recovery retreat in Orlando, Florida, October 24 – 27th. JR Westen and myself are taking the messages found within the ”Conversations with God” Cosmology, along with our combined 53 years of personal recovery from alcohol, drug, and food addictions, and offering these retreats as a means of returning people to their authentic selves. We understand the difficulty people face with overcoming these challenges in life and offer a simple, compassionate, and effective means of living a happy, joyous, and free life. These retreats are not simply a weekend long reprieve from our troubles. Each attendee will be introduced to past and future participants through our community Facebook page. In addition, any past participant can attend any future P2P retreat for any donation they wish to make. You read that right – any donation, from $1 to infinity. We have seen the lives of people change and remain changed from these retreats. If this is for you, click here to register.
We understand that there may be financial hardships keeping you from attending this retreat. If you feel you would benefit from this retreat but cannot afford it, please contact Will@cwg.org and ask about our scholarships. It is our deepest desire to help those who truly seek change and we want nothing to stand in the way of that.
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation with JR Westen. You can visit his website here for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
“As long as the ties that bind us together are stronger than those which will tear us apart, all will be well.” Narcotics Anonymous literature
Conversations with God, along with countless other spiritual and religious institutions, mention that we are all one. Many of us, myself included, would nod their heads in approval not truly knowing what this means, or if we really even believe it to be true. I mean, how can the guy who nearly ran me off the interstate today truly be one in the same with me and my God? You see, my God is loving and caring and compassionate, and always considerate! My eyes tell me we are not one in the same.
Ah, now there is the rub. We are one, just not the same, by design. We are one on our journey of self-improvement, evolution, and struggle to overcome what our eyes tell us we are separate from. We are cut from the same cloth of God and we come here to experience the grandness of life. Many times we become entrenched with the conflict between what our heart feels and what our senses pick up from external sources. Resistance and opposition are viewed as negatives while offering us the grandest of all gifts – contrast.
When I first began my sober life, I was fortunate to meet people who welcomed me in and identified with me. In fact, I was told that I was the most important person in the room that day. This was because the people who were already there needed to see that their old ways were not working. I was the gift for them that day; I was the contrast.
Together we are in this physical plane of life where we require a contextual field to provide us with a definition of ourselves. Without all of you, I have no way of knowing anything about me. God has given us this life, indeed. He has joined with us in this physical vessel we call our bodies so that she, too, may know the grand nature of his-herself.
The first thing that brought comfort to me when I entered the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous was the togetherness, the oneness, the comfort in knowing that I was not alone in my dis-ease. The 12 steps are the same regardless of which program you enter. The wording only changes slightly, but the meaning stays the same. So the reason there are so many different programs available is simple. We are all seeking like-minded people. We feel comfort around those who know what we have been through by their own experience.
Recovery in the purest sense is not possible without incorporating others into our healing process. Healing cannot take place without the help, support, and encouragement of others. This is not to say people can’t stop using on their own. They can and do. Recovery is a completely different than simply being abstinent; recovery is a state of being.
When in recovery, we are a light unto the darkness that others suffering with similar dis-ease can be drawn to. Our energy is shifted from that of reaction, to a place of creation. Each day brings about an opportunity to consciously observe and create our self in a more grand way. We look at areas of shortcomings and recognize the need for change. In moments of enlightenment, we can admit to others that we behaved in ways that we were not proud of and express our intention to make every attempt to correct our behavior.
Doing these things brings about a sense of pride in ourselves that we have not experienced in a very long time. We share with others our struggles and our victories. We ask each other for help in our times of weakness and we lend our shoulder to others when they experience theirs.
The sober/recovering person is a gift to the community and inspiration to those still suffering. In this state of beingness, one invites others into the dark corners of their life and does not hide behind excuses any longer.
Isolation is the partner of dis-ease. Experience tells us that where two or more are gathered, God is made flesh. Many years have gone by since I was greeted that fateful day. I owe a debt of gratitude to that room of people who opened their arms and welcomed me in. I have long since moved away from that room of people, but I have taken the gift they gave with me. It is now my place in recovery to welcome newcomers into the room, and tell them they are not alone anymore.
Join us Path to Peace recovery retreat in Orlando, Florida, October 24 – 27th. JR Westen and myself are taking the messages found within the ”Conversations with God” Cosmology, along with our combined 53 years of personal recovery from alcohol, drug, and food addictions, and offering these retreats as a means of returning people to their authentic selves. We understand the difficulty people face with overcoming these challenges in life and offer a simple, compassionate, and effective means of living a happy, joyous, and free life. These retreats are not simply a weekend long reprieve from our troubles. Each attendee will be introduced to past and future participants through our community Facebook page. In addition, any past participant can attend any future P2P retreat for any donation they wish to make. You read that right – any donation, from $1 to infinity. We have seen the lives of people change and remain changed from these retreats. If this is for you, click here to register.
We understand that there may be financial hardships keeping you from attending this retreat. If you feel you would benefit from this retreat but cannot afford it, please contact Will@cwg.org and ask about our scholarships. It is our deepest desire to help those who truly seek change and we want nothing to stand in the way of that.
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation with JR Westen. You can visit his website here for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
“No persons do anything inappropriate, given their model of the world.”
It is not difficult for any of us to look around and find something we deem wrong with our fellow travelers’ behaviors and beliefs. Our mind many times cannot wrap itself around the inhumane things people say and do. Thankfully, this says a whole lot about us — we are getting there.
Where is it we getting to? I would like to think that at some point each of us will be more concerned with how the Whole was doing rather than how the Self was doing. I do think that with each visible transgression we humans perpetrate on each other, more and more people decide to become willing to choose compassion over aggression.
With the social media era in full swing, we now are exposed to worldly events the instant they happen. We have multiple sources covering every angle of every story, and the funny thing is, we all interpret these events differently. This should clearly show us that there is no such thing as Ultimate Reality here in the physical world. Understanding this great truth should free us to more easily accept those who do not agree with our point of view.
“Ours is not a better way, ours is merely another way.”
On September 11th, 2001, many of us here in the U.S. were faced with an extreme contrast to our way of life. We witnessed the inhumanity of man on our own soil. Fear, sorrow, anguish, and suffering were felt across this land as well as abroad. But at the same time, empathy and compassion were expressed as never before. Many people were shocked out of complacency and stepped right into a state of being most of us do not experience in life: unselfish, unconditional love.
With the yearly anniversary remembrance behind us, my thoughts have moved to some of the other societal ills that plague man. These are, of course, my opinion of what “ills” are.
In the light of recent events in Syria, I have determined that as a collective majority we are fairly comfortable with letting people kill each other in the name of war; we just have certain guidelines as to how it should be done. I am, however, proud that we were able to, at the very least, postpone correcting unacceptable behavior (the use of chemical weapons) with the use of unacceptable behavior (launching missiles). This tells me that we may be seeing a little more of the light of compassion than we have in previous years.
Moving to something a little less dramatic, yet nonetheless what I would call a societal shortcoming, we have designer Brian Lichtenberg. Brian is the man behind the controversial “prescription” t-shirts. Brian is trying to capitalize on society’s obsession with, and in a lot of cases addiction to, prescription pain medication. His money-making idea was to create t-shirts like sports jersey’s with the name of a drug such as Adderall, Vicodin, Xanax, to name a few, on the back, with a number below, emulating sports apparel.
Brian, like many people, is a business man. He is trying to do what we are taught from a very early age is the ultimate goal for a human – make a lot of money. One of the things we don’t teach is to do so without causing harm wherever possible. Brian’s creation, although creative, is turning out to be offensive to many and he is now feeling the crunch. Many have spoken out against him and now the drug-makers themselves are considering suing him to cease and desist.
While drug use did not go up or down in relation to this event, our collective conscience did experience a shift. Many spoke their minds and found themselves supported by their communities. Each experience we have of standing in our authentic truth and being supported encourages people to become willing to do so.
Much like the events in Syria that brought us to the brink of yet another war, Brian Lichtenberg has ushered in a new era of people rising up against what they believe is behavior not becoming of 21st Century humans. His view of the world was narrow, and the masses have stepped into authenticity and said we will not stand by quietly and let you do this.
The point of this article is to show that we, as individuals, have more power over worldly events than we believe, as well as making the compassionate comparison to how we go about expressing our power. Man has typically chosen raw power as the first means of expressing our opposition to those thoughts or actions we feel strongly about. It is becoming clear that what Einstein is so famously quoted as saying is true, “You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.” The younger generation and the social media outlets are providing a forum for many people to express their ideas, beliefs, and opinions about these worldly events. This is moving the stick of our evolution at an ever-increasing speed.
“When people know better, they do better.” ~ Maya Angelou
We may be the toddlers of the universe, and all that means is that we are growing up. And it may seem like it was just a short time ago that we would stand, stumble, trip and fall, but now we are starting to walk. We may not be ready to run and we may still lose our balance, but we are growing up fast. Each day provides us opportunities to express our authentic self. Many times we are still going to say and do things that are not in alignment with that, but we are aware. And with each time that we do take a deep breath of courage and stand in our truth, we are empowered to continue to do so. When we act consciously and collectively, our strength is multiplied.
With all eyes on our societal shortcomings, we see where we came from. We express our opposition in healthy ways and remain committed to peace and serenity being the guiding force in our lives. Imagine the world our children and their children will live in with hope and pride. There is nothing to fear about the future because each new generation is enriched with the mistakes of previous generations for which to decide how they will make their own. So far, it is working perfectly.
Just another reminder to those wishing to change the direction of your own life or helping another to get out of the rut of addictive behaviors, our Path to Peace recovery retreats are just the place to do that. JR Westen and myself are taking the messages found within the ”Conversations with God” Cosmology, along with our combined 53 years of personal recovery from alcohol, drug, and food addictions, and offering these retreats as a means of returning people to their authentic selves. We understand the difficulty people face with overcoming these challenges in life and offer a simple, compassionate, and effective means of living a happy, joyous and free life. These retreats are not simply a weekend long reprieve from our troubles. Each attendee will be introduced to past and future participants through our community Facebook page. In addition, any past participant can attend any future P2P retreat for any donation they wish to make. You read that right, any donation, from $1 to infinity. We have seen the lives of people change and remain changed from these retreats. If this is for you, click here to register.
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation with JR Westen. You can visit his website here for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
Many of you are aware of the amazing health and wellness benefits of acupuncture. I have a close friend who is a master acupuncturist and she has traveled all over the world to master her craft. She has treated me for various things over the years, and I am a big fan. Auriculotherapy is similar to acupuncture, but is only treated on the surface of the ear and there are no needles used in this type of treatment. Much like acupuncture, there are only a couple of contraindications. For safety reasons, auriculotherapy should not be performed on those who are pregnant or anyone who has a pacemaker. Auriculotherapy is completely safe on all others.
I am bringing you this article today because not very many people have heard about auriculotherapy. One of the most beneficial aspects of the treatment is the sedation effect. When we become stressed with our day to day living, our mind tends to go into what is called fight-or-flight syndrome. The symptoms of fight-or-flight syndrome are shallow breathing, increased heart rate, and our awareness is heightened. Our adrenal glands go into high gear and adrenalin is pumped into the blood stream to prepare us for battle. During this state of heightened awareness, we live our lives through the lens of fear. We are constantly on the defensive and looking for our enemies. Our ability to be creative is diminished, and rational, cognitive thinking is impaired.
After long periods of fight-or-flight syndrome, our body begins to break down. The negative thinking becomes firmly entrenched behavior, creating a vicious circle of stress-inducing thought. Chronic illness such as irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, and addiction are common companions of fight or flight. Many seek treatment for the visible symptoms and are then prescribed drugs that simply mask the body’s attempts to show us there is something that needs our attention. By treating the apparent symptoms and not addressing the chronic state of being we have developed, the other symptoms begin to get worse. This is the never-ending cycle that so many people are now caught up in. We have become a society that has medicine cabinets full of drugs to “fix” things that can be easily corrected with a lifestyle change.
Many people fear that reducing their stress means less productivity. Our culture has us believing that our health and well-being is secondary to our financial security. Yet with the rising cost of health care, soon, if not already, it will be far more costly to neglect our health than continue a lifestyle that requires us to overwork and overproduce. Having a healthy stress management ritual helps us to be more productive in our work, emotionally available for our friends and family, and open to hearing our higher self and the soft hints of our intuitive nature.
Holistic wellness methods such as acupuncture, auriculotherapy, chiropractic, naturopathy, yoga, and meditation, to name just a few, are surefire ways to stop the fight-or-flight syndrome in its tracks. Stress can never be eliminated; in fact, we need stress in our lives to provide a contextual field and propel us to our natural state, which is self-improvement. Our society has all but given up on the natural path to wellness in favor of the quick fix in the forms of pills and surgeries. While I do understand that there are situations that call for the medical community to step in and help, I am of the belief that if we practice healthier, holistic lifestyles, the need for traditional medicine would be minimal. Stopping chronic illness starts at arresting our fight-or-flight response and finding a state of relaxation.
The first point treated in auriculotherapy is called the Shen Men. The Chinese have had awareness of this point for over 5,000 years. When the Shen Men is stimulated using the micro-current tool used in auriculotherapy, the mind becomes sedated, allowing for a greater connection to our soul voice. When the mind is “out of the way,” the body’s ability to heal is unlimited. Furthermore, the panic mode brought on by our fight-or-flight mechanism is virtually eliminated, easing us into a normalized state of being. Sometimes simply being reminded of what it feels like to not be worried or anxious is all it takes for a person to understand just how stressed out they really are.
There are over 350 reflex points in the ear referring to every system, organ, and limb of the body. The procedure is quick and painless, although some would describe it as mildly uncomfortable. The results are immediate and undeniable. For a quick and relatively painless session, relaxation is induced and fight or flight is arrested for the time being. If the person receiving treatment has any mild aches or pains, the therapist can locate and stimulate corresponding points and ease the discomfort.
Used in many treatment facilities, auriculotherapy has shown remarkable results in patient retention. On average, patients attending 28-day treatment facilities typically only stay around 10 days. Studies show that facilities who offer advanced relaxation therapies like yoga and auriculotherapy have almost 100 percent retention.
For those wishing to quit smoking, auriculotherapy offers an easy way out. The hardest part of quitting smoking is the discomfort of withdrawal. By stimulating the correct points we can trick the brain into releasing endorphins, the exact same feeling we get when we are smoking, without the nicotine to produce it. After just a few treatments, the body normalizes its production of endorphins and the withdrawal stage has passed.
If you are looking for a stress management protocol, try looking into auriculotherapy and see for yourself. Typically, you will find this treatment being offered in chiropractic offices and holistic wellness centers. The average treatment takes about 20 minutes to ½ hour.
I am bringing you this article today for two reasons: The first is as an informational piece. I feel this is a valuable tool to have in your holistic health toolbox. The second reason is to tell you that at our Path to Peace recovery retreats, we offer this service for no additional charge daily. For someone wishing to quit smoking, who plans on attending the retreat, this could be a great way to kick it off.
Our next P2P retreat is coming up quickly. This one will be held in San Jose, California, from September 19 – 22nd. After that, we will be taking to the east coast in Orlando, Florida, from October 24 – 27th. Click here for more information and registration for these retreats.
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation with JR Westen. You can visit his website here for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
