Here are some quick reads/views to give you a nugget of wisdom in less than 2 minutes to help you in your recovery journey.
- 2 Minutes… on being CAGE’d
For most of us, the idea of being trapped in a cage is a horrifying thought, worthy of the scariest horror movie. Yet, for many of us, addiction forms just such a cage. The CAGE tool developed by UW-Madison can help us determine if we are “caged” by substance abuse. There are 4 CAGE-AID questions… - 2 Minutes… about wondering why
We may hold many ideas of what got us here. Asking “Why” is a good start, but the answers we might hear in response to our question can either move us toward recovery or deeper into our problems. You might think this is all your fault, that if you were just a better, stronger person,… - 2 Minutes… on the 4 C’s of addiction
While we may think that what we are struggling with is unique, the reality is that we are often retracing the same steps over and over. Those who study addiction tell us that they can identify a downward addictive spiral using the the Four C’s of Addiction:: Craving/WantLoss of Control of choice, amount, or frequency… - 2 Minutes… about “How’s that working for ya?”
BibleGateway.com is an superb source of online bible translations/paraphrases and guides in dozens of languages. It also offers great advice. A recent post asks the question: “When you are worn-out, when you feel discouraged, when you think you don’t have what it takes, what is the one thing that Jesus wants you to never forget?”… - 2 Minutes… on Co-dependency and Overcommitting
The recent “2 Minutes… on saying No after you’ve said Yes“ post started an interesting conversation. As we talked, we decided that, perhaps, the more important question isn’t how to back out of something we say “yes” to, but WHY we said “Yes” in the first place, resulting in a situation that left us feeling… - 2 Minutes… for talking about your Spiritual Journey
Celebrate Recovery® is as effective as it is because we identify the path to recovery as part of a spiritual journey, especially at Step 11 and Step 12. Those steps talk about improving our conscious contact with God, and increasing in power to carry out His will for us. While this is a core need… - 2 Minutes… about Phrases to Avoid in a Difficult ConversationDifficult conversations are difficult for a reason: we have something important we need to discuss, but we often come into the conversation anxious or stressed out. No matter how prepared you are, it’s easy to say the wrong thing. If the goal is change, offending or angering the other person won’t get you there. In…
- 2 Minutes… on saying “No” after you’ve said “Yes”Keeping our commitments is an important part of a sane, healthy life. At the same time, we sometimes find ourselves trapped by something we said “Yes” to. Whether you now have a conflict, can no longer participate in the project, or simply have overbooked yourself, it’s sometimes essential to uncommit. When we do so, we…
- 2 Minutes… on high-tech fastingIf you’re looking for a easy, high-tech way to lose weight, you’re reading the wrong article; this one is about ways to find peace in a world of noise pounding at us every minute of the day. In the same way that physicians are looking back at the unexpected side-effects of cigarette smoking and the…
- 2 Minutes… on understanding what Co-dependency looks likeEver find yourself agreeing to something, then wondering why you did? Sometimes, our choice was based less on what we were going to do, than on our internal hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Sometimes we say “Yes” but unexpected issues outside our control change the situation. If this is an ongoing, repeating pattern, though, this may…
- 2 Minutes… for 20 Questions on Co-DependencyDoctors use many tools to see what’s goin on under our skin. Diagnosing a problem might require an MRI’s, an X-Ray, or a CAT scan; sometimes, the power of asking questions can be even more effective. We can do the same by honestly evaluating ourselves, using honest answers to tough questions that identify patterns in…
- 2 Minutes… on sci-finding your identityI am a science-fiction fan because sci-fi allows us to ask what WE would be like in different circumstances. It helps us ask questions. If your work commute took you two years instead of twenty minutes, how would you spend your time differently? When the consequences of your choices amp up, would you remain yourself?…
- 2 Minutes… about taking feedbackIf you’re looking for job advice, you’ve come to the wrong place. Still, a recent column by the career coaches at Korn-Ferry, an organizational consulting and job placement firm, had some insights that might help stay you in recovery. The article points out a recent poll that found that only 14% of employees strongly agreed…
- 2 Minutes… about surviving in the wildOK, I admit that I couldn’t resist the title. What does surviving in the wild have to do with recovery? At first glance, not a lot but perhaps more than you think. Some background. I was stuck waiting at a doctors office for 30 minutes. I was so bored, I was scanning through my inbox…
- 2 Minutes… on good questionsPart of the process of finding change and growth in our lives is learning about who we really are. And, to be honest, sometimes that’s hard to do. We can be blind to our own weaknesses and may build defenses to prevent dealing with difficult issues. Good questions can break through those blocks, even when…
- 2 Minutes… on changing habitsIt seems like breaking a bad habit would be simple: just do the opposite action a bunch of times, and viola, you’re changed, right? Maybe not. Sometimes you may find yourself drifting back into the same bad habit and wondering why. A recent article in Wired talked about some reasons for this. When we look…