Recovering from Addiction Archives - Page 9 of 10

August 18, 2019August 18, 2019

Put on the Wings of Your True Self

Have your wings been broken because you flew too close to the ground?

The image of the angel crashing to the ground is all-too familiar for those of us who have faced illness, addiction, codependency, loss, or other hardships.

And there we lay, broken and miserable, unable to rise again.

If we’re open and willing, however, soon the curative power of love appears, and we rise and rise, until we again fly on toward our dreams.

Then we reach down and help the next angel repair her broken wings, so she can soar in freedom with us.

Willie Nelson’s “Angel Flying Too Close to The Ground” paints it so beautifully. I like this performance on YouTube because, altho’ a bit grainy, it shows some nice close-ups of him singing with wonderful expression. Give it a listen!

Click here to hear Willie sing it.https://youtu.be/c4zkBpFOB_w

LYRICS: ANGEL FLYING TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND
If you had not fallen, then I would not have found you,
Angel flying too close to the ground.
I patched up your broken wing, and hung around a while.
Tried to keep your spirits up, and your fever down.
I knew someday that you would fly away,
For love’s the greatest healer to be found.

So leave me if you need to, ‘cuz I will still remember,
Angel flying too close to the ground.
Fly on, fly on past the speed of sound;
I’d rather see you up, than see you down.
Leave me if you need to; ‘cuz I will still remember,
Angel flying too close to the ground.

When I first got sober and fell in love with this song, I found the beautiful little figurine shown near the title above.

When one of her wings broke, I repaired it with loving care (you can see the crack between her wings here). Later, as I received the healing power of recovery, I could feel my tiny wings begin to sprout.

Over the years, they grew and grew until I took on the challenge of writing “Worry Less Now.”

To complete that project, I needed a really BIG set of wings. And God provided.
Here are the life-sized ones that live with me right here in my office. Every once in a while, I don them and prance around, giving thanks for Love’s healing power.

How connected are you with your true self, the you that lies in your heart, not your head? Your true self is unfettered by old wounds; it’s courageous, generous, and powerful enough to fulfill your dreams.

And it has WINGS!!

Gigi Langer, PhD has helped thousands of people improve their lives at home and at work. She’s written several books for educators, and is a sought-after speaker and workshop leader. Gigi holds a doctorate in Psychological Studies in Education and an MA in Psychology, both from Stanford.

To learn more ways to reject negative thinking, order a personalized SIGNED COPY of my award-winning book, 50 Ways to Worry Less Now here. Amazon (4.7 stars), Barnes and Noble, and e-book formats. AUDIOBOOK COMING SOON!

June 26, 2019June 26, 2019

ANXIETY? Who, me??

RECOVERED PODCAST

A PODCAST FOR 12-STEP RECOVERY

Free app: RecoveredCast

website: www.recoveredcast.com

June 25, 2019 – Show 1010 – Topic: Anxiety

FACT: About 20% of Americans struggle with anxiety and worry.

Last night I participated in the amazing and awesome “RecoveredCast” show. Thanks to Mark, Matt, and Kurt (and those who called in) for making our conversation about anxiety so honest and helpful.

RecoveredCast is like a 12-step meeting in your pocket. The show streams live with a chat room to interact with other listeners and the show hosts. The purpose is to encourage and support those walking the path of recovery from any addiction (alcohol, drugs, people, food, gambling, work, shopping, etc.).

Even if you’re not in a 12-step group, you’ll enjoy the inspiring, personal stories about anxiety in recovery, and you may find some helpful ideas for coping with it.

Click HERE (or on the link below) to listen to this fascinating discussion!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/talktherapy/Anxiety_-_Recovered_1010-auphonic.mp3

Order your PERSONALIZED SIGNED COPY of award winner, “Worry Less Now” (Amazon 4.7 stars) – 10% discount plus free shipping! Click HERE

Gigi Langer has been clean and sober for 33 years, and holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. She’s a sought-after speaker and retreat leader who has helped thousands improve their lives at work and at home.

April 30, 2019

FREEDOM FROM SELF-SABOTAGE (by Harriet Hunter)

Harriet Hunter has written one of the best daily meditation books I’ve seen in a long time. I just love reading it each morning. Below is an excerpt of the April 21st meditation (p. 123) from Miracles of Recovery: Daily Meditations of Hope, Courage. (Order book Here)

“How many times have we heard others put someone down with, ‘You’re not good enough to do that,’ or ‘You’ll never be able to. . .’? Do these or similar statements resonate within you?

“These are the telltale signs of self-sabotage. “Self-sabotage is the mechanism used to denigrate our power, as if we have none at all. “We become what we think. We need to stop rehearsing our rejections.

“Over time, self-sabotage becomes form fitting, snug in the mis-identification of our self-worth. It feels familiar, safe and warm. We know self-sabotage well because we’ve endured it for a lifetime.

“Somewhere we heard we should promote others while sacrificing ourselves to gain friends and keep the peace. To do so would be to tell ourselves the greatest lie of all: We deserve nothing, but others do. Treating ourselves with the same gentleness and loving care we give to family and others is what we need.

“There is plenty of inner strength and fortitude already deep inside, and we deserve to hear it reflected in our voice.

“So why not let it begin with us? No longer can we allow ourselves to take part in self-deprecating talk. Our voice is listening, waiting for the echo of words that promise love and kindness for who we are.

“When we change the way we see ourselves, we get to change our lives and the way others see us too, with resonating confidence.”

Today’s Meditation
“Today I am conscious of how others speak to me and how it makes me feel. I will not accept negative, demeaning talk from anyone–even me–as I recreate with loving care who I want to be.“

harrietHunter GigiLanger Harriet Hunter (shown here with me at the Venice FL Book Fair) is the author of the 2018 Miracles of Recovery: Daily Meditations of Hope, Courage. She is a person in long-term recovery, an expert on journaling, and an inspiration to all who know her. Her book is fabulous! Order book HERE Website here FB: Harriet Hunter Author

April 11, 2019

How Important Is the Word “God,” Anyway?

I’ve recently been talking with a very brilliant woman who desperately wants to let go of her self-destructive habits. Since her own willpower has utterly failed her, she’s seeking a source of power greater than her dysfunction. But, most of the people she’s met with use the word “God” to refer to that power.

And this woman cannot stand the word “God.”

She meditates and believes in a higher self . . . a true-self where her wisdom resides. And she actively connects with the power of other healthy people. So even though she doesn’t use the word “God,” she has definitely tapped into a power greater than her problem. At this point, that’s been enough to stop her self-destruction.

So, I ask, how important is the word “God,” anyway?

One of my favorite authors, Alexander McCall Smith, wrote eloquently about this question in one of his cozy mysteries about a philosophy professor in Scotland. After she and her boyfriend talk about whether they believe in God, they both throw up their hands and conclude they just don’t know. And, for a while, they leave it at that. Then suddenly the boyfriend says, “Although there is Mozart.”

So, what in your experience, if anything, has convinced you there’s some great power that fuels genius and beauty?

What takes you beyond this world to another dimension of goodness that defies understanding? I find the sheer beauty and brilliance of nature, music, and artistic creations to be enough proof for me!

If the truth and beauty in this world doesn’t convince you, how ’bout those little (and sometimes big) “coincidences” where things just fall together in perfect order, in spite of your worries and attempts to control them? What about serendipity? Good fortune? Just the right person at just the right time?

Wow! It’s almost too much to contemplate. But this I know: A loving power is working in our lives to bring us hope, courage, and amazing solutions to life’s dilemmas.

Sometimes I call that power “God.”

P.S. By the way, I must plead complete incomprehension when I ponder all the unlovely things in this world. I just let that mystery be.

See GigiLanger.com to learn about the tools that transformed my life. They might work for you too!

Gigi Langer has been clean and sober for 33 years, and holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. She’s a sought-after speaker and retreat leader who has helped thousands improve their lives at work and at home. Read her blog here or order her award-winning book from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and all e-book vendors.

Gigi Langer

Worry Less Now!

Category: Recovering from Addiction

Put on the Wings of Your True Self

ANXIETY? Who, me??

FREEDOM FROM SELF-SABOTAGE (by Harriet Hunter)

How Important Is the Word “God,” Anyway?

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