Recovery- what does it mean? We all could use a little recovery sometimes.
When a person enters and works through recovery, they become a different person in some ways and yet in other ways remain the same. People begin to have more of a sense of self and are at peace with that, both the good and the “bad”.
Recovery is not always easy. Stopping the using was the “easy part”, but there is all the other work of self-reflection and forgiveness. Forgiveness is in some ways easier to have for others than it is for yourself.
What does recovery mean really? Well I feel first of all it doesn’t have to be a term referring only to people who have found or are seeking recovery from chemical dependency. It can apply to anyone. Anyone can use a “Recovery” from time to time.
Recovery to me means recovery of one’s self. In this way, don’t we all need to find this from time to time?
We lose ourselves when…………….
We don’t draw boundaries with people
When we don’t know how to say no
When we take on more than what is realistic and put too much expectation on ourselves
When we over extend ourselves for whatever reason
When we don’t own our truth and be willing to express- No, I don’t like that or I need this in my life right now
When we are not gentle and forgiving of ourselves
When we don’t take time to slow down to be in the moment and let our mind, body, and spirit rest
It can be easy to fall in any of these traps.
It’s good to not be selfish because that is not only an undesirable characteristic to have; it is never going to be sustainable. At the same time there is the other extreme. Sometimes people are so worried, especially women and all the more if they are mothers, that if they took care of some of their own needs they should feel ashamed of that.
One time I heard person say that “taking care of your self is not selfish, it is Self-full”. When we are full, we are more able to better take care of others, let alone ourselves.
In the end, we are all the same and wanting the same things- Love, to be heard, and know that we have value. So allow yourself permission to recover. We all need a little recovery sometimes. It’s OK and there is NO shame in it.
Thuy Smith Outreach 