52 Life-Changing Lessons I Learned in Recovery

Contents
Introduction: My Story



Part I: Spiritual Diagnostics




Self-Control Won't Keep You Sober
The Opposite of Addiction Is Not Connection
The Truth about Admitting You Are Powerless over Alcohol (Or Anything Else...)
What Is an Eating Disorder?
What a Craving Is Really Like and What I Do About It
Why Another Day of Sobriety Is Not My Goal
The Difference between a Spiritual Mentor and a Therapist


Part II: Stepping Away from Secular Spirituality




Trusting God Isn't Trendy, but the New Age Left Me Empty
Artificial Versus Organic Gratitude
Self-Love Is Not My Goal
How I Stopped My Negative Thoughts Once and for All
What if Your Triggers Are Just Sins You Haven't Confessed?
The Real Secret to Happiness (and the Delusion of Unhappiness)
So, You Think You Want to Be Confident
Is Expressing Emotions to Other People Actually Healing?
The Truth about Low Self-Esteem


Part III: Coming to Believe




Don't Believe in God? Try Prayer
Do you Live in Faith or Just Believe in God? (The Grocery Store Metaphor)
How Deep Do You Need to Go?
How Do You Know That God is Real?
Why I Stopped Trying to Change My Behavior
The Outcomes Are Up to God, Not Me (No More "Magic Pillow Cure")


Part IV: Denial and Guilt




Guilt Is Not a Feeling
Are You in Denial?
Your Pain Is Not Their Fault
You Aren't Actually Angry at Yourself
Are You Guilty of Splitting Your Guilt?
Connect with the Whispers of Your Conscience and You Won't Have to Hear the Screams
If No One Else Will Get Hurt, Is It Still Wrong?
The Importance of Pulling the Root


Part IV: Forgiveness




A Story of Radical Forgiveness
I Let Go of the Past and Stopped Saying - "They Did the Best They Could"
You Might Have Forgiveness All Wrong
The Resentment Paradox
How to Get Rid of Resentment
I Stopped Trying to Rationalize and Justify Other's Behavior and This Happened...


Part V: Prayer and Everyday Miracles




A Way to Pray
The Story of the Blue Truck
Learning to Differentiate God's Plan from My Plan
If Life Feels Hard, Lack of Humility Might Be the Cause
The Incredible Results of Turning Off My Internal Calculator
If You Give, You Will Receive
Two-Way Prayer: A Lesson, Sharing My Own, and an Exercise to Do Right Now
Why I Don't Pray that the World Changes
Don't Get Lost in the Big Picture
How a Totaled Motorcycle Reminded Me to Trust God's Plan


Part VI: Relationships




Why I Don't Ask People for Forgiveness
The Way Out of the Cycle of Shame
How I Let Go of My Addiction to Approval from Others
I Don't Trust My Friends
Discovering the Reality of Friendship
It's Okay to Not Have the Last Word
How to Stop Caring What They Think
On Feeling Forced to Take a Side: The Relational Pep Rally
A Deep Dive into Dishonesty
The Dark Side of Boundaries
The One Relationship I Need
I Thought I Was a People-Pleaser


Part VII: Life Events




A New Year's Resolution You Can Start Today and Why I Gave Away Brand-new Diamond Earrings
Four Hours after I Lost My Job, I Wrote This
Grief, Selfishness, and Faith: How I Understand and Experience Grief after the Recent
Deaths of Five Loved Ones
What Will Your Gravestone Say? "I Wish It Would Have Been Different" or "That Sure Was Fun!"
The Wedding Day Essay
A Reflection on My Grandparents Passing
Sadness, Grief, and God
If the Holidays Are Hard on You, I Have Been There, Too, and This Could Be Why



Acknowledgments

About the Author

Este título pertence ao(s) assunto(s) indicados(s). Para ver outros títulos clique no assunto desejado.

• Confrontando a doença
• Mente, corpo, espírito: pensamento e prática
• Dependência e terapia
• Vida e prática religiosa

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