Why I Pray In The Shower

Science is finding answers to why people become addicted to drugs and alcohol through studies of the brain. Some of what has been learned explains how drugs and alcohol affect the chemicals in our brains responsible for feelings of happiness, pleasure, and a sense of well being. When long term use or abuse of a substance occurs it can create an imbalance in these chemicals. This then can cause some people to only feel good when using their drug of choice, and no longer take pleasure in doing the things that they used to enjoy. In other words, they become dependent on a substance to make them happy. Much more information on our brains and addiction can be found than what I wrote here, as can information on other important factors of addiction like genetics and environment. Although I feel this type of information will go a long way in helping everyone better understand the whys of addiction, I know from personal experience that it requires much more than just general knowledge about addiction to remain sober and to find true happiness. For me it required help from others, changing as a person, and being open minded enough to believe in more than just this world. Additionally, as I’ve said in other posts, it also required me to learn to love myself enough to be happy with who I was.

Share and Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Tags: addiction, alcoholism, dependency, substance abuse, whys of addiction

I was fifteen years old when I first fell in love with a boxer named Muhammad Ali. I know using the term falling in love when concerning another man may sound strange, but I assure you I wasn’t the only one who loved and adored the man who was The Heavyweight Champion of the World back then. I wrote in my book why Ali was my idol as a teenager, but what I didn’t write about was the self-love that he possessed. It wasn’t the insecurity fueled kind that’s evident in many people today, but the type of self love that happens through spiritual and personal growth. It took me several years in my sobriety before I learned what true self-love felt like and I wish I could help everyone achieve it. It’s been over 35 years since I began my love affair with the man who was called “The Greatest” by himself and others, and although he may not be what he once was physically, I know because of his beliefs that he still loves who he is today. I’m certainly not the same person I was physically as a teenager or for that matter even a few years ago, but I too love who I am today. I have found that the secret to loving ourselves is to always strive for spiritual and personal growth and that when we learn to love ourselves enough to be happy with who we are, we will begin to love ourselves unconditionally. When we love ourselves unconditionally it holds the promise of some day being able to love others the same way and makes having the self-love I’m talking about truly the greatest love of all.

Share and Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Tags: believing in ourselves, muhammad ali, personal and spiritual growth, self love, self worth, the greatest love of all

To be perfect is to be entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings. I know I’m nowhere near being perfect as a person, and that I never will be in this lifetime. I try not to worry too much about my imperfections though, or the spiritual imperfections I also have. I realize that part of spiritual growth is knowing I will always need to grow and that having imperfections both spiritually and as a person is a part of who I am. I don’t necessarily like having them, and I certainly don’t like seeing them in other people, but because I have learned to love myself unconditionally I am slowly learning to love others unconditionally too. Now having imperfections doesn’t give any of us the right to act in ways that hurt people, nor should it be used as an excuse for when we do. But if we honestly keep striving for personal and spiritual growth even when we fall far short of being perfect, it’s still possible to love ourselves and be be happy with who we are. An unconditional love for ourselves that holds the promise of loving others in the same way no matter what their imperfections may be.

Share and Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Tags: creating our path, Happiness, self love, spiritual growth, spiritual imperfection, unconditional love

Here’s the new synopsis and bio for the back cover of my book. I believe it’s a much better fit than what I had before. I couldn’t have come to this conclusion however, without the input from people who read it and told me what they liked about it or from those who told me it helped them in some way. It’s been a slow process, but I know if I keep moving forward in promoting my book I can gain the attention needed to reach a lot more more people. Thanks to everyone who read it so far. It means a lot to me.

Synopsis

My hope is that this book will make others more aware that not all alcoholics are like the stereotypes seen in movies and TV shows and help remove the stigma associated with addiction. I included the parts of my life that explain why I drank, why I felt it was time to stop, and how The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous helped me face my fears without alcohol and live a more meaningful and happier life.  I also included how a search for reassurance in some kind of God led me to believe in a creator and how living sober led me to believe in myself.  I know my story will help people see they don’t have to feel ashamed because of an alcohol or drug problem and believe they too can face their fears and be happy in life without depending on a substance. Throughout my life I tried to be someone I wasn’t to help me feel better about myself, but thanks to a continual striving for spiritual and personal growth, I eventually became happy with who I was.
Bio
I have been sober since April 27th, 1996. Although I’m not ashamed to call myself an alcoholic, I know many people have negative and often misunderstood conceptions about alcoholism and drug addiction.  Throughout my sobriety I have helped people with drug and alcohol problems understand there is underlying reasons why someone needs to use a substance to cope in life.  Although I have helped people with addictions, it was while writing my book and working with troubled teenagers that I realized helping others was my true purpose in life.  I believe this came about as a result of self actualization which has been described as “the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming.” With a strong belief that becoming a better person than we were before through spiritual and personal growth can lead to a permanent and joyful sobriety, I now want to help others believe they have the potential to find true happiness.

Share and Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Tags: creating our path