fookisan
Guest
Written for a 12 step group
Well, my friends, the day has arrived. My local snow season is over - barring a blizzard. And even then, the resorts would not reopen once they shut ... but I still could be XC and snowshoeing. Anyway, it does little good to dwell on the past, so as my Buddhist practice recommends, I work to stay in the present. I am making the transition from winter to spring. Out come the kayaks, jet ski, mountain bikes, mountain boards, dirt bikes, scuba gear and inline skates. The past 2 winters I have been learning to snowboard. This winter I also learned to ice skate at 52 during the snow-less January drought. Next winter hope to take up alpine snowboarding with hard boots. Always trying to learn and improve. The other option is to lose abilities and not improve.
I've been enjoying healthy soups and stews and taking saunas this past winter but it is time for a change. The air is still crisp and clean with no annoying bugs, so it is a good time for taking hikes or trail run. Spring and early summer are great fire pit times before the humid heat of summer sets in. I like to sit in my backyard making a fire in our stone pit relaxing as I watch the logs turn into glowing coals and the sparks shoot upwards into the dark sky. One equation for finding happiness states, that to be happy we need someone to love, someone to love us, something to do and something to look forward to. Sustainable, healthy and positive activities fit the bill when it comes to having something to do and something to look forward to. In the past, all I had to occupy me was my addictions. How many addicts turn to their addiction out of boredom? While it is good to be mindful of the present moment, as the Buddhists say, we are still humans and cannot be 100% perfect. So, when it comes to looking forward I now look foreword to the new seasons and all that those seasons provide in new tastes in healthy and natural foods and activities.
Many people run from the snow or the rain like it is the plague. Myself? I run TO the snow and NOT away from it. In fact, I can go out my backdoor and snowshoe or cross country ski if I please. If it rains, I have rain gear and am not afraid of getting wet if it rains on my parade. Thoreau had the well developed ability of finding contentment and happiness in the present moment. This is what enlightenment is all about - being at peace within and with all in whatever circumstances we find ourselves and without pre qualifiers. How many times do you hear persons talking negatively about the rain or the snow like it is hell. For me it is heaven, for without snow I could not ski or snowboard and without the melting snow and rain plants and life would not flourish on earth nor could I kayak, jet ski or fish. Thoreau wrote of such contentment in Walden, detailing the building of his log cabin. As he chopped down the trees and hewed the logs, he appreciated little things like the fragrance on his hands from the pine sap as he ate his simple lunch among the wood chips and talked with local wanderers. In his own words, "I made no haste in my work, but rather made the most of it." Taking my que from Thoreau when it comes to snow...I make the most of it.
Developing a list of positive time fillers was a big help with my addictions. As Thoreau wrote in Walden , "The devil finds work for idle hands." Before heading in this new direction, most of my time was occupied by what to buy next, overeating rich foods and getting fat and when I wanted a break from that I had a picnic basket of other addictive areas to get drugged up with. Most of my new activities are sport or movement related as they also serve the purposes of helping with my overeating disease and have the added benefit of improved health and don't produce clutter like some hobbies do. Sustainability is of the highest importance with an activity; you see I can mountain bike, hike, ski or canoe as much as I please and not produce and debt or manufacture clutter or drive me to drink as some of my less healthy pastimes would produce. In addition, these movement and sport related activities help with battling depression and improving balance, equilibrium and brain functioning.
Keeping busy is not the cure-all all for addictions, but it is a necessary foundational pillar. (My earlier post entitled "7 Benefits of Addictions Provide Us" goes into more detail on this subject, if you missed it and want a copy write me.) There are other benefits from activities that relax our minds or stimulate them for healthy growth potential. We all seem to build up too much stress chemicals and sport related activities helps dissipate these chemicals. (See my snip from a magazine at end of post.) Bottom line: is the activity pleasing to us, healthy, nurturing and sustainable? You can also use the SCA guidelines for any questions you have asking: is the activity placing unreasonable demands on my time and energy, will it place me in legal jeopardy or endanger my mental, physical or spiritual health? Remember, as Jack LaLane said, exercise and eating healthy foods are the king and queen of good health. The king and queen must also sit on a thrown of low stress living to run a good kingdom. If you hate to move and hate to eat well, then do as he also said; "I developed a liking for things that are good for me."
One time a lady wrote me about her addictions asking for advice. She was 150 pounds overweight, a clutterer and abused alcohol and prescription pain meds. She detailed how she had two hobbies in life - she liked to knit and liked to bake. She would sit for most of the day knitting. She had a large output from her knitting hobby and although she gave some away, she would keep the bulk of it. This produced much clutter as the output was continuos. She also liked to bake pastry and would give away some of her baking output, but again ate most of it herself. From all the sitting from her knitting hobby her back and joints were sore most of the time. Her joints were irritated from her sugar rich diet which was also loaded with salt. Carrying around an extra person in fat did not help her joints either. At night she turned to alcohol for some relief. During the day she would pop pills. She had high blood pressure, swollen legs and high cholesterol to boot. From her example, we can see her two hobbies were addiction promoting and health destroying and not good ones for her if her goal was to live a balanced and healthy life.
Can baking and knitting be healthy pastimes? Yes, but not as she did. A knitter would have to limit their time sitting and would have be mindful to exercise in order to make up for their inactive time while knitting otherwise they will deteriorate from a sedentary lifestyle. The only thing getting exercise with a knitter is the fingers and maybe as little of the mind. If they suffer from clutter, then they have to sell or give away all their output from knitting. With baking, it is the same. If you suffer from fat and like to bake you cannot eat much of your output and have to sell or give it all away. If you cannot control yourself with just eating a little, then you have to give it all away without a taste. If you cannot do that then find another hobby. As the saying goes, "If you don't want to slip, then stay out of slippery places." How did this lady end up after my advice? She kept on going her own way, deteriorating and dropped out of the program. All I can do is plant recovery seeds - I can't force them to sprout.
Many people say they do not like this or that when it comes to healthy foods or exercise. I tell them; "you have been getting what YOU liked all along and it got YOU where your at. Maybe YOU should try doing what YOUR RECOVERY PROGRAM likes instead of what YOU like?" So, if your happy with the status quo, then keep on keeping on, and if you are not happy, try another way. You see, a person that thinks as they always thought will continue to get what they always got. We need to learn new ways and must unlearn old ways as well. Some addicts think that by just reciting the 12 steps all will be well without changing a thing. If nothing changes - nothing changes. My own life had to change radically 180 degrees from how I used to live in order to get new life. This is why most addicts fail, they refuse to change and want to keep their old life as well as a new life. We have to choose which way to go, but one thing is for sure, we can't have both.
end part 1
Well, my friends, the day has arrived. My local snow season is over - barring a blizzard. And even then, the resorts would not reopen once they shut ... but I still could be XC and snowshoeing. Anyway, it does little good to dwell on the past, so as my Buddhist practice recommends, I work to stay in the present. I am making the transition from winter to spring. Out come the kayaks, jet ski, mountain bikes, mountain boards, dirt bikes, scuba gear and inline skates. The past 2 winters I have been learning to snowboard. This winter I also learned to ice skate at 52 during the snow-less January drought. Next winter hope to take up alpine snowboarding with hard boots. Always trying to learn and improve. The other option is to lose abilities and not improve.
I've been enjoying healthy soups and stews and taking saunas this past winter but it is time for a change. The air is still crisp and clean with no annoying bugs, so it is a good time for taking hikes or trail run. Spring and early summer are great fire pit times before the humid heat of summer sets in. I like to sit in my backyard making a fire in our stone pit relaxing as I watch the logs turn into glowing coals and the sparks shoot upwards into the dark sky. One equation for finding happiness states, that to be happy we need someone to love, someone to love us, something to do and something to look forward to. Sustainable, healthy and positive activities fit the bill when it comes to having something to do and something to look forward to. In the past, all I had to occupy me was my addictions. How many addicts turn to their addiction out of boredom? While it is good to be mindful of the present moment, as the Buddhists say, we are still humans and cannot be 100% perfect. So, when it comes to looking forward I now look foreword to the new seasons and all that those seasons provide in new tastes in healthy and natural foods and activities.
Many people run from the snow or the rain like it is the plague. Myself? I run TO the snow and NOT away from it. In fact, I can go out my backdoor and snowshoe or cross country ski if I please. If it rains, I have rain gear and am not afraid of getting wet if it rains on my parade. Thoreau had the well developed ability of finding contentment and happiness in the present moment. This is what enlightenment is all about - being at peace within and with all in whatever circumstances we find ourselves and without pre qualifiers. How many times do you hear persons talking negatively about the rain or the snow like it is hell. For me it is heaven, for without snow I could not ski or snowboard and without the melting snow and rain plants and life would not flourish on earth nor could I kayak, jet ski or fish. Thoreau wrote of such contentment in Walden, detailing the building of his log cabin. As he chopped down the trees and hewed the logs, he appreciated little things like the fragrance on his hands from the pine sap as he ate his simple lunch among the wood chips and talked with local wanderers. In his own words, "I made no haste in my work, but rather made the most of it." Taking my que from Thoreau when it comes to snow...I make the most of it.
Developing a list of positive time fillers was a big help with my addictions. As Thoreau wrote in Walden , "The devil finds work for idle hands." Before heading in this new direction, most of my time was occupied by what to buy next, overeating rich foods and getting fat and when I wanted a break from that I had a picnic basket of other addictive areas to get drugged up with. Most of my new activities are sport or movement related as they also serve the purposes of helping with my overeating disease and have the added benefit of improved health and don't produce clutter like some hobbies do. Sustainability is of the highest importance with an activity; you see I can mountain bike, hike, ski or canoe as much as I please and not produce and debt or manufacture clutter or drive me to drink as some of my less healthy pastimes would produce. In addition, these movement and sport related activities help with battling depression and improving balance, equilibrium and brain functioning.
Keeping busy is not the cure-all all for addictions, but it is a necessary foundational pillar. (My earlier post entitled "7 Benefits of Addictions Provide Us" goes into more detail on this subject, if you missed it and want a copy write me.) There are other benefits from activities that relax our minds or stimulate them for healthy growth potential. We all seem to build up too much stress chemicals and sport related activities helps dissipate these chemicals. (See my snip from a magazine at end of post.) Bottom line: is the activity pleasing to us, healthy, nurturing and sustainable? You can also use the SCA guidelines for any questions you have asking: is the activity placing unreasonable demands on my time and energy, will it place me in legal jeopardy or endanger my mental, physical or spiritual health? Remember, as Jack LaLane said, exercise and eating healthy foods are the king and queen of good health. The king and queen must also sit on a thrown of low stress living to run a good kingdom. If you hate to move and hate to eat well, then do as he also said; "I developed a liking for things that are good for me."
One time a lady wrote me about her addictions asking for advice. She was 150 pounds overweight, a clutterer and abused alcohol and prescription pain meds. She detailed how she had two hobbies in life - she liked to knit and liked to bake. She would sit for most of the day knitting. She had a large output from her knitting hobby and although she gave some away, she would keep the bulk of it. This produced much clutter as the output was continuos. She also liked to bake pastry and would give away some of her baking output, but again ate most of it herself. From all the sitting from her knitting hobby her back and joints were sore most of the time. Her joints were irritated from her sugar rich diet which was also loaded with salt. Carrying around an extra person in fat did not help her joints either. At night she turned to alcohol for some relief. During the day she would pop pills. She had high blood pressure, swollen legs and high cholesterol to boot. From her example, we can see her two hobbies were addiction promoting and health destroying and not good ones for her if her goal was to live a balanced and healthy life.
Can baking and knitting be healthy pastimes? Yes, but not as she did. A knitter would have to limit their time sitting and would have be mindful to exercise in order to make up for their inactive time while knitting otherwise they will deteriorate from a sedentary lifestyle. The only thing getting exercise with a knitter is the fingers and maybe as little of the mind. If they suffer from clutter, then they have to sell or give away all their output from knitting. With baking, it is the same. If you suffer from fat and like to bake you cannot eat much of your output and have to sell or give it all away. If you cannot control yourself with just eating a little, then you have to give it all away without a taste. If you cannot do that then find another hobby. As the saying goes, "If you don't want to slip, then stay out of slippery places." How did this lady end up after my advice? She kept on going her own way, deteriorating and dropped out of the program. All I can do is plant recovery seeds - I can't force them to sprout.
Many people say they do not like this or that when it comes to healthy foods or exercise. I tell them; "you have been getting what YOU liked all along and it got YOU where your at. Maybe YOU should try doing what YOUR RECOVERY PROGRAM likes instead of what YOU like?" So, if your happy with the status quo, then keep on keeping on, and if you are not happy, try another way. You see, a person that thinks as they always thought will continue to get what they always got. We need to learn new ways and must unlearn old ways as well. Some addicts think that by just reciting the 12 steps all will be well without changing a thing. If nothing changes - nothing changes. My own life had to change radically 180 degrees from how I used to live in order to get new life. This is why most addicts fail, they refuse to change and want to keep their old life as well as a new life. We have to choose which way to go, but one thing is for sure, we can't have both.
end part 1