Navigating Life Changes During Early Recovery

Many people have heard the maxim, “The only constant is change.” Life is all about change. There is no question about it. However, there is a question of how we are going to navigate those life changes. Are we going to thrive and grow with change, or will we shrink and regress? The choice is ultimately up to us. This can be especially true when it comes to those in early recovery.

Accepting a New Way of Life in Early Recovery

A paradoxical phrase goes, “Problems are not the problem. Our problem with the problem is the problem.” It can be a bit of a mouthful, but there is some real meaning behind it. It is not so much about the problems presented to us; instead, it is about how we face those problems. A big part of this reality in early recovery involves acceptance.

There is a statement often read at the beginning or end of recovery meetings around the globe known as “the Acceptance Statement.” It begins, “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation – some fact of my life – unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God’s world by mistake.”

This concept of acceptance is essential in early recovery. However, acquiring it is sometimes easier said than done. Of course, it is wholly attainable. The key is to take action.

Navigating Life Changes During Early Recovery

Early recovery can be a raw time for many people. While the external world has not changed, our relationship with it has. So, everything we feel and do is like experiencing it for the first time. While this can initially be intimidating and even scary, it is a beautiful opportunity to grow.

Before we can feel comfortable navigating life changes happening on the outside, we must first navigate the changes happening on the inside. These changes occur to our soul (also commonly called our psyche) due to our newfound sobriety.

Many people retrogress from these changes because they feel unsupported or unsure of the next step. The good news is that the next step need not be taken alone. We can connect to a Higher Power to guide us, and we can do this (navigate these life changes) through mediation.

Utilizing Meditation to Navigate Life Changes and Acquire Emotional Clarity

Three distinct actions can keep us from connecting to our soul and thus connect us to essential change. These actions are self-sabotage, self-control, and self-destruction. When these actions are present, we are stuck in some type of negative “soul cycle,” from which we cannot escape.

Meditation can allow us to step back and see these actions for what they are. Connections to the “flesh” or that literal part of us that often tries to take control wholly. We must remember that God (or we feel free to utilize the term Higher Power of our understanding) created us to be supernatural. Our perceived physical limitations keep us from understanding and believing that. Meditation can open us up to that understanding and, ultimately, give us the emotional clarity that we require and desire.

The Benefits of Meditation and Prayer for Early Recovery

Science does not necessarily like to discuss the soul when discussing mediation. Yet, when discussing the benefits of meditation in scientific terms, we can read between the lines and see that it is all about the soul and healing oneself at the cellular level.

For example, in a discussion of mediation in the clinical journal Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, the authors discuss the concept of “trait mindfulness.” The journal explains, “Trait mindfulness may be defined as the tendency to exhibit mindful qualities in daily life, including nonreactivity to distressing thoughts and emotions, as well as the tendency to observe and accept one’s momentary thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and sensations.” This “trait mindfulness” is the same thing as “God-consciousness,” only wrapped up in more academically “digestible” terms.

Yahlight: Meditating With Jesus to Awaken in Early Recovery

How can we acquire God-consciousness in early recovery ?” One way is by mediating with Jesus. This is connecting with our spirit by connecting to something greater than ourselves.

Mediation is a mission, and when attempting this mission with the guidance of Christ, we ensure our connection with the light of God that will champion our ascension to a greater state of being.

Remember, in early recovery, as in life, “nothing changes until we make a change.” That change can come from meditation with Yahlight: The Lord’s light.

Early recovery comes with many challenges and unexpected stressors. Meditation and prayer can help people overcome obstacles and remain motivated to make positive lifestyle changes. Also, reconnecting with the soul and relying on a Higher Power can inspire healthier choices and bring about a sense of mindfulness. It can also help bring about some emotional clarity, which is essential both in early recovery and for recovery in the long term. Mediating with Jesus can help bring about the vital changes that help people maintain a healthy and successful long-term recovery. For more information about connecting with a higher power, making friends with the soul, and establishing a spiritual mission, please reach out to me today.