Sober Tips & Insights

The Open Mindedness and Recovery thought experiment…  Imagine a friend telling you about this remarkable, damn near fictional, utopian city. He states the case, rather persuasively, and insists you must move in post-haste. In his defense, the enthusiasm of his persistence parallels his claims. “It’s perfect in every way,” he states, “it’s a quintessential combination … Read More

Wellness in Recovery…breaking addiction is multifactorial. Quitting your drug of choice (drug of preference is probably a better term, “choice” isn’t a big part of addiction) is one of the most difficult yet challenging parts of your life. It requires a lot of commitment and willpower on the front end. Imagine a rocket blasting off … Read More

The Recovery Process Is Saturated With Grace (& Recovery Capital) If you’re reading this you’re familiar with suffering in one form or another. I know this to be a fact by virtue of your humanity. Mental illness, personality disorders, alcohol and drug addiction, impulsive self-destructive behaviors, codependency, and the rest of the post-Eden comrades. Am … Read More

What Is The Difference Between Needs and Strategies? First Step to Emotional Freedom: take 100% responsibility for your feelings. Needs & Their Relationship to Thoughts/Emotions One core assumption of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is that basic needs exist that are universal to all human beings. Needs are universal values that drive all of our actions as … Read More

Authentic Friendships…A Shared Space At The Flea Market It was a quiet little Saturday.  The kids and I were hanging out, bored, eager to find something to placate our restless spirits.  My oldest daughter caught my gaze and said rather curiously, “Daddy, why are we here when we can be at the flea market.” The … Read More

Shoulding Yourself Is A Straight Shot To Misery “In our language there is a word with enormous power to create shame and guilt. This violent word, which we commonly use to evaluate ourselves, is so deeply ingrained in our consciousness that many of us would have trouble imagining how to live without it. It is … Read More