Five years ago, I was lying in the ICU after my stroke when a nurse walked past my room and said, “You don’t belong here.” I didn’t look like I belonged in the ICU. The clot-busting treatment had worked. My speech improved significantly from when I was in the ER, although slow and struggling to […]
Author: Rachel
Independence of the Spirit: A Different Perspective
I was thinking about the phrase independence of the spirit the other day. It’s one of those sayings in AA that I’ve heard for years, but if someone asked me to explain what it meant, I couldn’t have. I wasn’t sure what it actually looked like in my everyday life. For most of my life, […]
The Joys of Recovery: How Sobriety Gave Me a Life I Never Knew Was Possible
I walked into AA to learn how to drink without consequences, and instead I was given the gift of a joyful life.
“I Can Figure This Out Myself”: Increase the Frequency of Hope
I have always liked being able to say, “I did it myself.” There’s something satisfying about figuring things out on my own. It’s the same feeling a child gets when they run into the room and proudly announce, “Look what I made!” Honestly, I still do that with my husband when I finish a painting, […]
Responsible Free Will: The Power of the Pause
More Than Freedom Free will seems like wide-open freedom to do whatever we want. We’re given this gift, but no one teaches us how to use it. As kids, we’re guided by our parents. As adults, we’re choosing in real time, with moment by moment decisions. With free will comes great responsibility. The Pause Have […]
Easier Said Than Done: The Hard Part of Recovery
Advice is easier said than done. Phrases like “listen to your body,” “be patient with yourself,” and “accept where you are” are simple, but living them is something else entirely. In recovery, I navigate chronic pain, fatigue, and the constant negotiation between what I want to do and what my body will allow. And it’s […]
When Life Is Unmanageable: Recognizing Chaos Through Step One
Step One asks us to admit that we are powerless over alcohol and that our lives have become unmanageable. This is personal and every alcoholic has a different threshold or bottom. What I endured before admitting the truth is unique to another’s experience. I believed that only I could solve my problems and that alcohol […]
Decision Maker vs. Wanter: Finding Gratitude In The Pause
There’s power in the pause. When I get quiet and breathe, even for one breath, I can feel gratitude seep back in.
Emotional Sobriety Is Freedom
Emotional sobriety provides an inner peace that enables us to pause and respond to life rather than react in regretful and unhealthy ways. Beyond physical sobriety, we gain the clear-headed ability to self-reflect, name our feelings, and answer them thoughtfully. The inner voice that once shouted now speaks rationally, and sometimes it even falls silent […]
Spoon and Cup Theory
Balancing Energy, Emotions, and Spirit One Day At A Time Living with a chronic illness requires a daily physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness check-in upon awakening. Spoon and Cup Theory offers a cross-referencing framework for a morning self-assessment of mind and body. Each day stands independent of the last and is paved with unknowns. There […]