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“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.” -Fr. Alfred D’Souza
Without obstacles to overcome what meaning could life possibly have? It is through the personal struggle with weaknesses that one can be made strong. Keep applying the information to your life you are learning and you’ll get better one day at a time. Pick yourself up and keep trying!
In the treatment system, we use the analogy of the butterfly that is coming out of the cocoon. A little boy discovers the butterfly and sees it struggling, he decides to help it out. The little butterfly takes flight but only to fall to the ground a few minutes later.
The boy was sad and asked is Grandpa, “Why did it die?”
The grandfather replied, with love in his heart, “That butterfly needed to strengthen its self and prepare for the days ahead. When you removed its struggle, it did not receive the strength it needed.”
Just like this butterfly, we all have struggles but these struggles make us ready for the days ahead. Keep going, you can do it.
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When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your father, or mother, or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.
He’s the fellow to please – never mind all the rest
For he’s with you, clear to the end
And you’ve passed your most difficult, dangerous test
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
- Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr.
Remember you are great and you have a lot to offer to others. You are priceless. You know what you did today, yesterday and what you will do tomorrow. Don’t cheat yourself.
You can do it!
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“There is no such thing as a day without challenges and obstacles to work through. Learning to look at challenges and obstacles as opportunities for growth is helpful in developing an optimistic outlook on life. Expecting, even in the slightest degree that you should not have to face challenges and obstacles today is a set up for frustration, irritation, and depression. Striving for small perfect moments throughout the day is a positive way to approach the world.”
- Carol Dwec
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Learning to find joy in the journey is one of the greatest secrets of life.
The nature of life is that it is full of challenges. It is in facing these challenges with faith that makes it possible to make progress and grow stronger.
Ghandi once said, “Joy lies in the fight, in the struggle, in the suffering involved not in the victory itself.”
These are wise words to remember. We must continually move towards a way of being and not be so concerned about a particular destination. There is no destination that does not lend itself to another one in the future. That is why the InnerGold system is about becoming someone by the regular practice of doing dailies based on the 5 keys to the language of recovery which are acceptance, surrender, awareness, mindfulness and faith.
It is the obstacles we face that grants us the opportunity to become stronger and more compassionate towards others.
We can commit ourselves to keep moving forward and put a smile on our face despite the challenges that we might face!
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“We would like to celebrate heroism and heroes as special acts by special people. However, most people who are held up to this higher plane insist that what they did was not special, was really what everyone should have done in the situation. They refuse to consider themselves “hero’s.” Maybe such a reaction comes from the ingrained notion we all have – that hero’s are supermen and women, a cut or more above the common breed. Perhaps more than their modesty is at work. Perhaps, rather, it is our general misconception of what it takes to be heroic.” – Philip Zimbardo
Perhaps the greatest acts of heroism go unnoticed on a daily basis as one continues to maintain their sobriety in an increasingly challenging world. Heroism focuses us on what is right with human nature. We care about heroic stories because they serve as powerful reminders that people are capable of resisting evil, of not giving in to temptations, of rising above mediocrity, and of heeding the call to action and to service when others fail to act. Be a hero today by focusing on your future picture statement and doing your dailies! The power to influence the world resides in small acts.
Remember the statement by Margaret Mead a cultural anthropologist who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Be a HERO today!
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- You have the power to resist the onslaught. Image via Wikipedia
This picture is etched in history forever.
A lone man confronted a line of seventeen oncoming tanks that were aimed at smashing the freedom rally of the Chinese Democracy Movement at Tiananmen Square, Peking, on June 5, 1989. One young man stopped the deadly advance of a column of tanks for thirty minutes and then climbed atop the lead tank, reportedly demanding of its driver. “Why are you here? My city is in chaos because of you. Go back, turn around and stop killing my people.” The anonymous “Tank Man” became an instant international symbol of resistance, he faced the ultimate test of personal courage with honor and delineated forever the proud image of an individual standing in defiance against a military juggernaut.
Print out this picture and put it on your wall as a reminder of the power that is in you to resist the onslaught of pornography in our world. If this one man can stop a whole fleet of 17 tanks, surely you can turn off your computer when tempted. This “Tank Man” was included in the list of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of the twentieth century (April 1998).
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A question we frequently get is, “My pastor says stop looking at porn. I want to. I try to but have not been able to. What do I do?”
A few things you need to understand:
- This is an addiction
- Addiction is a powerful brain disease
- Chemical reactions are taking place
- The brain actually changes.
- To overcome sexual addiction issues like pornography there needs to be additional help. There are very few people that will power alone will help you manage this addictive behavior.
You need to learn the Language of Recovery
- Acceptance and Surrender
- Awareness
- Mindfulness
- Faith
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We took the time to interview Robert and to find out why he chose to join the InnerGold team and head up the Youth Addiction programs for InnerGold.
Learn more about Robert: http://helplds.com
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:: transferred from previous blog – posted by becoming sober ::
Over the years as a pornography addict, I would often times say things to myself like, “I can quit this anytime.” “This will be the last time I will ever look at porn.” “I am in control becuase it has been a while since I looked at porn.”
The false notion of conquering an addiction is all too common. Just like any other addiction, there is a lot of effort that goes into quitting. Have you ever known a drug addict who has gone through the process of quitting their drug of choice? I have a friend that went through 4 years of treatment and spent over a month in an psychiatric institution to overcome a heroine addiction.
Although pornography may not cause the same physical harm as drugs, it similarly offers a release to the brain as do other drugs, thus becoming a dependent substance. Porn addicts like to reason with themselves in saying they can quit anytime. This “quit anytime” attitude is a common defense the brain uses to allow an excuse to fall back into the addiction in the future. As long as porn addicts deceive themselves, they will not get better. The key is that only through complete admittance that we are dependent on the drug of pornography and need help, can we finally begin the healing process.
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We would like to welcome our new counselor intern: Rob Robison
Mr. Robison’s focus is on helping youth and families. He is really geared to helping youth because of the struggles they wrestle with on a daily basis. His insight is a valuable asset to InnerGold. We feel extremely privileged to have him on board. If you know of a youth or a family struggling with pornography addiction or other issues, contact Rob at: 801.636.2080
We should have his site up within a couple of weeks. We will keep you informed.
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