anniversary wishes

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Today, the magical forces of the internet informed me that I’ve officially been blogging for a year. How time can move both fast and slow.

What continues to bring me great pause is the way my writing resonates with such a diverse group - despite never truly revealing my gory details. Authenticity. Positivity. Gratitude. Mindfulness. We humans have commonalities, no matter the experiences we’ve strung together to bring us where we are today (I find this eerily comforting).

I refer to recovery in an ambiguous way, as if it is a beast I cannot bring myself to look directly at, and prefer to keep in my periphials.  I want to clarify that I am unafraid to face it.  I am unashamed to bear my heart about it.  I have unwavering determination in my advocacy for the cause.

It simply does not define me.

I cannot allow it to cling to my identity, to make it on my resume, and to nip at my ankles as I march through each new day.

Rendering homage to my first blog anniversary, I am sharing a new project. A more practical resource in recovery.

http://edfreedom.com/

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Thanks for being there.

if people were rain, i was a drizzle and she was a hurricane

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The thing that makes you exceptional,
if you are at all,
is inevitably that which must also makes you
lonely.

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Hansberry

7 billion people and only one you

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Being yourself is a full time job. And it offers a really crappy pension for early retirement.

As we are always evolving, being authentic means something different all the time. We need to pay careful attention to what being true to ourselves means, from moment to moment as we grow.

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It all starts with attainting a strong introspective awareness. We often distract ourselves from experiencing our feelings because we are scared, and it just seems easier that way, and ain’t nobody got time for that. What we really end up doing is self-sabotaging from ever feeling deeply satisfied with who we are.

With practise, we can build an honest relationship with ourselves from which we can cultivate true fulfillment. We can easily know what feels right for us and how to adapt when something feels wrong, avoiding things that compromise our values, feelings and desires.

Stop settling. Stop masking yourself behind a puppet of who you think you should be. Stop hiding behind unhealthy habits and coping skills. Stop being your symptoms and start being you.

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nourish & flourish

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And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart:

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Your seeds shall live in my body,
And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,
And your fragrance shall be my breath,
And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons.

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Khalil Gibran

learning & living – NEDIC conference

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NEDIC Body Image and Self-Esteem Conference 2013

To learn and think; to think and live; to live and learn:

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This always,

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With new insight, new understanding, and new love.

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♥
Alex