Some of us have received words of wisdom along the way, from colleagues, from sponsors, from literature. If there is a quote, a song, an admonition, a prayer, a poem, that gave you strength during a difficult time, please share it with us that we might gain strength, too.
RISE UP; THIS MATTER IS IN YOUR HANDS. WE WILL SUPPORT YOU, SO TAKE COURAGE AND DO IT. EZRA 10;4
Sent from a strong nurse in recovery:
My story is filled with broken pieces, terrible choices, and ugly truths. It’s also filled with a major comeback, peace in my soul and a grace that saved my life.
Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Gam Zu L’Tova This too, is for the good. Nachum of Gamzu
RISE
Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow
Gonna rise up
Burning black holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold
Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
Suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold
Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole
—-Eddie Vedder
Photo credit Institute for New Economic Thinking. University of Oxford, England
“I think about how often we all try to solve problems by doing more of what’s not working–just doing it harder, grinding it out longer. We’ll do anything to avoid the lowest of the low–self-examination.” (Rising Strong. Pg 179. Brene’ Brown)
“You may not have signed up for a hero’s journey, but the second you fell down, got your butt kicked, suffered a disappointment, screwed up, or felt your heart break, it started. It doesn’t matter whether we are ready for an emotional adventure–hurt happens. And it happens to every single one of us. Without exception. The only decision we get to make is what role we’ll play in our own lives: Do we want to write the story or do we want to hand that power over to someone else? Choosing to write our own story means getting uncomfortable; it’s choosing courage over comfort.” (Rising Strong. Pg 45. Brene’ Brown)
American River, No Hands Bridge. California
Learning lessons is a little like reaching maturity. You’re not suddenly more happy, wealthy, or powerful, but you understand the world around you better, and you’re at peace with yourself. Learning life’s lessons is not about making your life perfect, but about seeing life as it was meant to be. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Nor Cal, Foggy Valley Ranch. Photographer Gene MaGann
EVERYBODY FALLS SOMETIMES
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes
And make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you’re stronger
Stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason
For someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
Overcome the odds
You don’t have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That’s what faith can do
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
———-Kutless – What Faith Can Do—-
I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book Pg 85.
Coloma, California
That we can grieve and recover often seems an amazing feat, yet human resilience is amazing. Just as a forest can burn to the ground and eventually grow anew, or a town can be devastated by a flood and rebuild, so each of us can be overcome by our grief, have the enormity of our loss overwhelm us, and still eventually recover and restore our lives. This is nature’s way. The Courage to Grieve. Pg 9. Judy Tatelbaum.
The American River Canyon, California
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—keep thinking about these things. Philippians 4;8
To find inner peace, we must look at our priorities. We must make sure that we are devoting enough time to self care -relaxing time, exercise, healthy eating- and to the people we love. We must make sure that we are spending our money and time wisely.
We are the only ones that can bring ourselves to true happiness. ABCDE holds us back from true fulfillment-Accusing, Blaming, Complaining, Denying, and Excuses.
The word shlema, complete, is spelled shin, lamed, mem, hey. Mem and hey spell “ma,” “what.” We must ask ourselves what are we up to in life. The last three letters in shlema spell “lama,” “why.” Why are we doing the things we are doing, and why are we heading in the direction we are? Through asking ourselves these questions, we will be lead to a complete and fulfilling life. (Simpletoremember.com Judaism online)
Be brave to develop yourself to the fullness of your God given potential. Get rid of the words I can’t, Someone else can do it better, I’m not that creative, No one will listen, I’m not good enough, I’m not smart enough. These are all lies that prevent you from growing and living life to the fullest.
“Don’t hold to anger, hurt or pain. They steal your energy and keep you from Love.” Leo Buscaglia
“Change is the end result of all true learning.” Leo Buscaglia
“To be happy with yourself in the present moment while maintaining a dream of your future is a grand recipe for manifestation. When you feel so whole that you no longer care whether “it” will happen, that’s when amazing things materialize before your eyes. I’ve learned that being whole is the perfect state of creation. I’ve seen this time and time again in witnessing true healings in people all over the world. They feel so complete that they no longer want, no longer feel lack, and no longer try to do it themselves. They let go, and to their amazement, something greater than they are responds—and they laugh at the simplicity of the process.”
― Joe Dispenza, You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter