This is that special time of year when we dream about peace.\u00a0 We visualize prosperity and proclaim that old acquaintance be forgot.\u00a0 We experience the giving and receiving of gifts and most people find themselves feeling rather charitable.\u00a0 Yes, compassion fills our hearts and olive branches are extended.\u00a0 The world\u2019s armies put down their guns and break bread with their opponents.\u00a0 We all come together and unite for a fleeting moment on Christmas Day.<\/p>\n
Well, at least that is how all the songs and movies depict it anyway.\u00a0 What actually happens for many this time of year doesn\u2019t quite fit the bill of \u201cjoyful and triumphant!\u201d Many people find themselves stressed over the financial burden of the holidays or the pressure to purchase the perfect gift for their special someone.\u00a0 How could I not mention those in recovery and those who are still suffering with addictions?<\/p>\n
This time of year can be very challenging to the newly sober person.\u00a0 There are Christmas parties where even casual drinkers drink too much.\u00a0 The expectation is to let loose and live it up.\u00a0 For a recovering person, this isn\u2019t an option and most people can\u2019t understand that.\u00a0 For those with addiction, one is too many and a thousand is never enough.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0 For many, we will look at our physical condition and decide that it is time to make some changes.\u00a0 Come January 2nd,<\/sup> the gyms, yoga studios, Pilates classes and the YMCA will be standing room only for three or four weeks.<\/p>\n Deep inside, all of us are yearning for the same things: \u00a0happiness, joy, contentment, peace, and freedom.\u00a0 We just have no idea how to get it.\u00a0 Does it come from things? Does it come from others? If you love me, will everything be okay?\u00a0 Do we attain happiness from money, food, sex, drugs, being right?\u00a0 What is it? And why do we have such a difficult time finding it and holding on to it?<\/p>\n I believe we have set up a system of living that just flat out doesn\u2019t work.\u00a0 Most would say, \u201cIf I had more money, I would be happy.\u201d\u00a0 The facts simply don\u2019t prove that.\u00a0 Very few people who win the lottery actually find happiness.\u00a0 Many end up in a deeper pit of despair in a very short time.<\/p>\n Happiness is a decision. Not a simple one, I might add, but it is a decision.\u00a0 And it would seem many of us are simply incapable of making that decision. Why do you think that is?\u00a0 Is it our ego? Are we hardwired for \u201cmy way or the highway\u201d?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t it time we break out of the \u201cdo it my way or else\u201d paradigm?<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 I have expanded my view of the world and strive to continue to do so.\u00a0 I can also see in the children of today that they appear to be well-equipped to take us to a higher place.<\/p>\n I choose to believe we are going there.\u00a0 In fact, I believe we are already there; we just don\u2019t know it yet.\u00a0 When asked, \u201cWhy do you strive to change the world\u2019s view of God?\u201d my reply is simple.\u00a0 It would appear to me that the world\u2019s perspective of what God is and wants for us isn\u2019t working.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 I know my perspective of God changed, so why can\u2019t others?\u00a0 Why can\u2019t we all keep an open, flowing, and ever-willing-to-change view of God?<\/p>\n Let me ask you this: If given the opportunity to be right or be happy, which would you take?\u00a0 Now to take that one step further. \u00a0If 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?<\/p>\n (Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist. \u00a0He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist\u00a0specializing\u00a0in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation. \u00a0You can visit his website\u00a0here<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0for more information.<\/i>\u00a0To connect with Kevin, please email him at\u00a0Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com<\/span><\/a><\/span>)<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is that special time of year when we dream about peace.\u00a0 We visualize prosperity and proclaim that old acquaintance be forgot.\u00a0 We experience the giving and receiving of gifts and most people find themselves feeling rather charitable.\u00a0 Yes, compassion fills our hearts and olive branches are extended.\u00a0 The world\u2019s armies put down their guns […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[159],"tags":[1519,674,677,195,9,795,1521,1520],"class_list":["post-7386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-addiction-and-recovery","tag-cheer","tag-christmas","tag-holidays","tag-kevin-mccormack","tag-neale-donald-walsch","tag-new-years-resolutions","tag-reflection","tag-what-the-world-needs-now"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7386"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7399,"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7386\/revisions\/7399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theglobalconversation.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}