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Episode 205: Openness

Before we began recovery, many of us had little experience of being part of a healthy family, of fitting into a functional community, or of living in a climate of trust. Often, from a very young age, we were denied the opportunity to bond with other people. These experiences carry with us into our adult relationships and cause us to close off or isolate.  The process of opening and bonding is a powerful step in our healing journey.  

Episode 204: Responsibility

In this episode, Jackie talks about the important role that responsibility plays in recovery and in our personal healing journey.  In recovery, we stop hiding from ourselves.  We understand the importance of examining our life, and we accept responsibility for everything in it.  We realize that a deeply painful past does not let u off the hook.  Nothing lets us off the hook.  We are always responsible for what we do and what we decide and the impact that has. 

Episode 203: Spirituality

Across world religions and throughout the history of human experience with the Divine, we find certain universally recognized strategies to nourishing spirituality.  While each person experience is unique, there are ways of approaching life that maximize our availability to spiritual presence. In this episode Jackie talks about some of the things we can do to increase our spiritual practice and to connect to something Higher around us.  Perhaps the real challenge in life is learning to love and to let.  

Episode 202: Awareness

Each of us has the capacity to pay attention to our senses, emotions, impulses, thoughts, and actions.  We also have the capacity to observe the world around us: its beauty, its danger, its design. When we make an internal commitment to reality, we naturally want to become more aware.  Change can come about dramatically by paying attention and having the awareness of what goes on inside and outside us.   

Episode201: Acceptance

In this episode, Jackie talks about principle one which is acceptance. A common struggle felt by most individuals who enter a recovery program or start a process of personal healing is learning how to reframe their life and give it harmony and balance. We have to learn how to dialogue with ourselves about past and present events in a way that brings freedom and meaning.  We have to wrestle with what is real and we have to make the choice to accept what is.   

 

Episode 200: A Year of Growth

In this episode Jackie introduces a twelve-part series focused on working The Twelve Principles as introduced by Dr. Patrick Carnes.  The principles are connected to the steps and prompt a question for us to consider.  Of course, these questions cannot be answered by asking a wise old sage, or an oracle or even a sponsor.  These answers are revealed to us as we live each day, work the steps and live the principles the best we can.

Episode199: Endings and Beginnings

In this first episode of 2021, Jackie talks about the liminal space of ending and beginning.  She reads writings from the poet and author David Whyte about nostalgia and being close.  Are we in a better space when we have accomplished our goals or when we are close to what we set out to accomplish?  Close to tears, close to success, close to leaving or close to happiness?  And what is the role that we allow nostalgia to play in our lives and does it keep us from fully feeling what our body is remembering?  

 

Episode 198: 2020 ugh!

In this episode Jackie takes a minute to reflect on lessons learned from one of the most collectively dark years in our recent history.  2020 was dark and hard in many personal ways as well as being difficult collectively as we all struggled with the challenges brought by COVID-19.  Many families are celebrating the holidays with an empty seat at the table and dealing with other losses brought by this year.  There is value that comes from "seeing in the dark" and many important lessons are only learned as we adjust our vision while in the dark.  

 

Episode 197: Reclaiming the Self

In this episode Jackie talks about reclaiming what we have lost from life and from hurt. Can we remember the parts of ourselves that are untarnished?  Who we were before you were being asked to be anything other than you? 

Episode 196: Not this

The holidays can be a very difficult time for people. We can try to put on a smile and try to pretend like everything is ok, when really we are only pretending.  For those, going through a difficult time or a "dark night of the soul", this time of year can be especially heavy.  This episode is for those who are facing a challenge, asking tough questions, facing difficult truths and making hard changes.