Transcending the Crap

Early in my recovery process from addiction, I heard a person by the name of Mason D. share something which helped to transform how I saw myself and my life. He said, "Yes... addiction is indeed a physical disease. But it's something that is principally happening in my mind. The physical stuff is an outward manifestation of what's going on within the mind. It's based on a kind of self-obsession and self-centeredness that causes me to be overly attached to whatever I come in contact with. It doesn't matter if it's drugs, food, sex or whatever. Addiction is most a disease of lies and illusions that cause dis-ease in my life. If I want to get better, something in my mind is going to have to change, otherwise I'm gonna be a dog chasing my tail."

For me, dealing with self-obsession, self-centeredness and the corresponding results can be like trying to tightly hold on to a we bar of soap. It's impossible, ceaselessly slipping out of our hands. It's very easy to get down on ourselves, getting snagged in the drama of our day-to-day story-lines and ways that our pre-occupations hook us.

Some 22 years ago when I actually started to get better was when I decided (made an active choice) to stop beating up on myself so-much. I had to give myself a little breathing room. If I didn't, I was going to stay chaotic and not be of sound mind. The skill I had to build was to loosen my grip, picking up myself and challenges up gently. In an odd way I had to stop strangling myself with unrealistic ideas, thoughts and feelings about the way life ways "supposed," to be.

For me it definitely started out and to a large degree remains the principles embedded in the Twelve Steps. But as I have grown, it is also the Four Noble Truths, Eight Fold Path and my Buddhist Vows. What can also help to lossen our grip is "The Four Agreements," by Miguel Ruiz. It could be the "Five Secrets You Need to Discover Before You Die," by John Izzo. If you are of the mind you could examine "Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day," by Joel Osteen.

The practices and books I mentioned above, have helped me in some measure, large and small to change my mind and get me "unstuck," especially when I was feeling troubled and scared. Maybe better said, they've helped me to transcend some of the crap in my life. In the process of change the mind, the addiction is naturally dissolved and we experience genuine freedom.

Namaste'

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
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