It is easy to fall into unhealthy thought patterns of internal shame and external blame. We never wanted to find ourselves caught so tightly in the grips of addiction that it was impossible to live the lives we expected to have before drugs and alcohol. Our pasts, however dark and full of suffering they may have been, does not have to be a factor that negatively influences our present or future. Jack Kornfield, in A Path With Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life, said, “We must look at ourselves over and over again in order to learn to love, to discover what has kept out hearts closed, and what it means to allow our hearts to open.” We may have some lingering problems, such as shame or regret, that keep us from being able to fully live or love in the ways that we want to. Spiritual introspection and meditative practices allows us to take time to thoroughly examine ourselves, our lives, and our interactions. It allows us to gain a new sense of perspective and understanding in our lives that may change our minds in a positive way that we can carry with us as we move forward in sobriety. Many of us had dreams of achieving great external goals– big houses, nice cars, and millions of dollars– but this can be a trap. When our focus is on the external rather than the internal, we lose sight of our own spiritual health. Eckhart Tolle, in The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, explains, “If you are dissatisfied with what you have got, or even frustrated or angry about your present lack, that may motivate you to become rich, but even if you do make millions, you will continue to experience the inner condition of lack, and deep down you will continue to feel unfulfilled.” No amount of money or power will even be sufficient to fix our spiritual condition. We can, however, make proactive steps toward our own personal growth and development that focus on cultivating acceptance. With a shift in our perspective, we find that our superficial desires begin to dissolve and our attention turns to growth and maintenance of our spiritual condition. As Canadian-American psychotherapist Nathaniel Branden said, “The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”
Your life can become one of happiness, joyousness, and freedom in sobriety. You can make the brave decision to reach out for help now and begin building a brighter future, Oceanfront Recovery, a treatment center in the heart of beautiful Laguna Beach, is staffed with compassionate professionals who understand the disease of addiction from every angle and are dedicated to providing clients with all the tools necessary to achieve and maintain sobriety. For information about individualized treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
