14. Success
May 14th, 2008 by Bruce M
Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make yourself a happier and more productive person.–Dr. David M. Burns
defined as:
1obsolete : outcome, result…2 a: degree or measure of succeeding b: favorable or desired outcome;… also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence…3: one that succeeds…
I lovingly share at times that I have failed my way into being a successful man today. I have made many bad choices in my recovery and have gotten it wrong all along the way. The only thing that I have done perfectly in my recovery is,… I have not gotten loaded. Just for that alone I feel I am a success today. There has been much work put into my recovery, trying to be a better person, and finding my purpose in life. My personal development has been centered around step work, daily inventories, principle exercises, prayer and meditation, and working with others. Because of my long history of using, there have been health issues I have had to face. With that wreckage, and being a man of over 50 years of age I have had to consult professional help for medical issues. Being an IV drug user it was important for me to get tested for hepatitis C. I didn’t do this for a few years into my recovery. There was a lot of denial and fear wrapped around this issue. I can say that because I was challenged by my peers to get tested, a lot of my fears were dispelled and I took proper measures to resolve that issue. Today I am more conscience of my self care. I get good sleep by going to bed at a decent hour. I eat more healthy than I ever have, cutting down on fast food products. I still smoke and drink probably way too much coffee. I have had to alter my habits because of high blood pressure. Today I work hard at building strong relationships with myself, family, friends, coworkers, and my HP. I have set goals in my life that are reasonable. I continue to work in the field of addiction and want to expand on the mentoring services that so many need in our community. Time management has always been a struggle for me. Prioritizing the tasks that lay before me is an important tool in the stress of life. I continue to assess what needs to be done first, and what is the most important. The people I choose to have in my life today are positive, goal oriented people. The folks I pick are not so much the ones that I want what they have, but are the ones who appear to know what they want in life. I continue to keep an open mind and want to learn new skills for success. I have learned to be an influence to others, mainly by trying to be more of an example of a successful man in recovery. I walk my talk, and have worked real hard on my reputation with in the community. I do my best in representing this life style. Today I am a man with money in the bank, who pays his bills on time, and for the most part does not spend frivolously. I do, I must admit, obsess at times about electronic toys that I don’t need. I am still a work in progress. I try to communicate, and listen as much as possible with someone I don’t know on a daily basis. This helps me connect and breaks down my prejudices towards others. I want to be a leader in our community, and a good successful leader watches and listens to his fellows. We are truly “each others eyes and ears”. These are a few things I associate with my own personal success today.
Love and Respect, Bruce M.
Tags: abundance, prosperity
