Recovery

I have much respect for the Recovery Movement and those who have found hope and changed their lives through it's practice. I have struggled with addictions myself and know well the difficulties of finding a path that leads to peace. I was fortunate in finding my way and I wish this for others as well. For some AA is not the way it wasn't for me and I knew that in a short amount of time. Again I was fortunate that I found my path in short order - others are not so lucky. Whichever path is the right one however will demand commitment. Fairly often I hear that the Program didn't work for someone and I have to wonder if that statement may not be reversed - did the person work the program in an honest, committed fashion? Often times not. Yet the program is not to blame and truthfully the person isn't either. Blame has no place in recovery or on the path towards peace. Responsibility however is another matter - and asking ourselves to accept responsibility for issues that seem beyond our control is anther matter still. It's helpful to view the world as a mirror -it reveals all, the good and the bad, that which we hide and what is plain before us. We are both the hero and villain of our stories and the mirror of the world will allow us to see this yet only if we have the courage to own what we see and to accept all with radical honestly what is revealed.
In truth we are all in need of recovery from something - diet, dogma, opinions of ourselves and others. We have faced a host of conditioning throughout life and not all of it has served us well. A path to recovery will demand the asking of tough questions of all that we cherish and despise. Does what we hold dear serve? Does our bias expand our lives or limit? And most of all are we willing to let go what no longer belongs? When we are willing to ask these questions we will find that are feet are already firmly on the path to recovery.

Peace,
Eric