Dear Friends,
Something that changed my life a long time ago and a phrase I just heard reminding me of how important it is to love yourself. "Love of Self may prove to be the most powerful antidote to addiction and unwanted behaviors!" Wow, that is a bold statement and it's a statement that I found to be true in my recovery.
I learned a long time ago in my recovery how important it is for me to take care of my mind and body, particularly my mind. The way I thinking about me, my surroundings, friends, family, etc. was not the way to feel true happiness or leading to good things happening in my life. When I was an addict and not in recovery I did not realize what I was really doing to myself, specifically the way I would talk to myself. I was constantly speaking to myself in a hateful way: I'm no good, I hate life, I will never be successful, I've let everybody down, no one likes me, etc. This type of thinking became a habit. I tell the kids I work with all the time how drugs fool your brain into thinking what you are doing is the greatest thing in the world but in reality it was the tool I was using to destroy myself. I did not realize it then but now I realize the damage I was doing.
I learned a tool a long time ago that helped me break that habit and has brought the light, so to speak, back into my mind and life. It has giving me a way to overcome the negative, hateful self-talk that was holding me back. The tool is called Metal Simulation, a way to help change the unhealthy circuitry in my brain to a healthy and powerful circuity. You see, every time you have a thought your brain releases chemicals and an electrical transmission is triggered in your brain. If your thoughts are negative, it releases negative chemicals. When this happens you start to feel bad about you, your life, and your world. You slump in your walk, your negative with your talk with others, and for me, this would cause me to use the one thing that made me feel better - drugs. It was a vicious cycle! It was difficult to deal with, even when I was finally off drugs and in recovery. To this day I use this tool but I now call it Power-Talk. It takes only 10 minutes to do it and it has opened up a world of opportunity, joy, and confidence that I did not know existed until I started using this. The Power-Talk exercise link is on the "Programs" page of this website.
Taking care of my physical body, as well, has proven to be a self-esteem builder in my life. Scientists in just the past few months have discovered that exercise appears to build a brain that resists physical shrinkage and enhance cognitive flexibility. Exercise, the latest neuroscience suggests, does more to bolster thinking than thinking does. Source: "How Exercise Could Lead to a Better Brain", By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS Published: April 18, 2012. New York Times
A daily workout along with Power-Talk Exercise has given me, confidence in myself and in my abilities, the courage to look in the mirror and tell myself I am going to have another drug free day, the confidence to reach out and to help other people, and has given me the strength to face life challenges in a healthier way!
I hope this helps to anyone suffering from consistent negative thinking and I would love to hear what you think : )
Until Next Time,
Sly Dog
Something that changed my life a long time ago and a phrase I just heard reminding me of how important it is to love yourself. "Love of Self may prove to be the most powerful antidote to addiction and unwanted behaviors!" Wow, that is a bold statement and it's a statement that I found to be true in my recovery.
I learned a long time ago in my recovery how important it is for me to take care of my mind and body, particularly my mind. The way I thinking about me, my surroundings, friends, family, etc. was not the way to feel true happiness or leading to good things happening in my life. When I was an addict and not in recovery I did not realize what I was really doing to myself, specifically the way I would talk to myself. I was constantly speaking to myself in a hateful way: I'm no good, I hate life, I will never be successful, I've let everybody down, no one likes me, etc. This type of thinking became a habit. I tell the kids I work with all the time how drugs fool your brain into thinking what you are doing is the greatest thing in the world but in reality it was the tool I was using to destroy myself. I did not realize it then but now I realize the damage I was doing.
I learned a tool a long time ago that helped me break that habit and has brought the light, so to speak, back into my mind and life. It has giving me a way to overcome the negative, hateful self-talk that was holding me back. The tool is called Metal Simulation, a way to help change the unhealthy circuitry in my brain to a healthy and powerful circuity. You see, every time you have a thought your brain releases chemicals and an electrical transmission is triggered in your brain. If your thoughts are negative, it releases negative chemicals. When this happens you start to feel bad about you, your life, and your world. You slump in your walk, your negative with your talk with others, and for me, this would cause me to use the one thing that made me feel better - drugs. It was a vicious cycle! It was difficult to deal with, even when I was finally off drugs and in recovery. To this day I use this tool but I now call it Power-Talk. It takes only 10 minutes to do it and it has opened up a world of opportunity, joy, and confidence that I did not know existed until I started using this. The Power-Talk exercise link is on the "Programs" page of this website.
Taking care of my physical body, as well, has proven to be a self-esteem builder in my life. Scientists in just the past few months have discovered that exercise appears to build a brain that resists physical shrinkage and enhance cognitive flexibility. Exercise, the latest neuroscience suggests, does more to bolster thinking than thinking does. Source: "How Exercise Could Lead to a Better Brain", By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS Published: April 18, 2012. New York Times
A daily workout along with Power-Talk Exercise has given me, confidence in myself and in my abilities, the courage to look in the mirror and tell myself I am going to have another drug free day, the confidence to reach out and to help other people, and has given me the strength to face life challenges in a healthier way!
I hope this helps to anyone suffering from consistent negative thinking and I would love to hear what you think : )
Until Next Time,
Sly Dog