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So far Love and Recovery has created 47 blog entries.
3 09, 2018

I Deserve Nutrient Rich Foods and More

2020-11-11T15:25:38-08:00September 3rd, 2018|Early Sobriety|0 Comments

I deserve this. Yes! I deserve this martini…this bottle of wine…these two bottles of wine…this Smirnoff straight out of the plastic bottle. I had a long week. I worked really hard. I sold some big accounts. I broke up with my boyfriend. I got a new boyfriend. It didn’t matter if the news was good or bad, or significant or meaningless, I always felt it deserved to be toasted. It’s something I used to think and say often. I deserve this cocktail—this devil’s elixir. In fact, give me another. And another. And another. I deserve this. Someone shared with me recently that she always felt like she deserved a drink. And, it really got me thinking about the word “deserve” and also about the drink that I was rewarding myself with. Definition of deserve. According to Webster, “deserve” means to do something or have or show qualities worthy of reward [...]

5 08, 2018

No Bones About It Communication

2018-08-05T17:03:09-08:00August 5th, 2018|Communication, Early Sobriety, Freedom|0 Comments

Communication is key to staying sober. What if we set about our day in the same way dogs do? What if we freely expressed what we need and desire from others and situations?  And, boldly communicated without worry of what others might think of us? What if we didn’t filter our lives? From what I can tell, dogs truly take care of themselves. They aren’t afraid to ask for what they want or need. They are not concerned with appearing overly needy. If they are hungry, they sometimes push their food bowl around, signaling for a treat of some kind. When they want attention, they make no “bones” about it. They come to us and gently nuzzle in. Or, in Stitch’s case, he quickly turns so that his rear end is the object of your petting hand. There is no worry of what we might think about them. They unapologetically [...]

2 08, 2018

I Am Always Supported

2020-11-11T15:25:39-08:00August 2nd, 2018|Early Sobriety, Faith|0 Comments

    I’ve never been much of a team player, and I've never allowed myself to feel supported by others or by God. I never much-loved team sports or team activities. I generally leaned more toward solo activities like track and field or public speaking. I did play Little League softball, and I was the pitcher…of course. The pitcher had a little more notoriety than the other positions. Being in the spotlight was my goal, and I loved winning. No wonder that I quickly began a career in sales after graduating college. A sales job was perfect for me, as it met all of my requirements. It was individually driven. It was in the spotlight of the company, and I could win. And, so I did. I quickly rose the corporate sales ladder, winning awards and making big deals. When I was 30 years old, I was promoted to the [...]

2 08, 2018

Finding Clarity Through Discipline

2020-11-11T15:25:39-08:00August 2nd, 2018|Freedom|0 Comments

  There’s something to be said for discipline. Somewhere I have heard that alcoholics are not very disciplined. I would agree that this is pretty accurate. When I first dipped my toes into the sober world, sort of (that’s a big SORT OF) trying to get sober, I worked with a mentor who told me I lacked discipline.  He asked me to call him every day at the same time to check in about my day. When he told me that I wasn’t disciplined, I was a little miffed, but I conceded. (My life was literally spiraling down the drain like liquid Drano, and I didn’t think I had a discipline problem.) I would try on most days to call and leave a voice message about how I was doing. It was my first attempt at a smidge of discipline, and I realize now that I totally suck at discipline. [...]

25 06, 2018

Rewriting Your Life in Sobriety Through Storytelling

2020-11-11T15:25:40-08:00June 25th, 2018|Early Sobriety, Finding Me, Freedom|0 Comments

Storytelling has become such a huge part of modern society. With the evolution of technology, people are sharing more and more of their own personal stories, made up or real. We are able to put out to the world exactly what we want people to believe about us and about our lives. Facebook and Instagram even have a "stories" section where we can share video insights into our daily lives. It's funny...I was thinking it would be so cool if Facebook or Instagram could video record the stories that run through my head daily. Some of these stories have been floating around in my consciousness for decades and others are new chapters I am beginning to cultivate. Some people engage heavily in social media, sharing every detail and others enjoy staying silent, quietly perusing the stories of the bold and the brash. I have no judgement either way...whether you share [...]

19 06, 2018

What Are You Growing in Your Garden?

2020-11-11T15:25:40-08:00June 19th, 2018|Mindfulness|0 Comments

What’s Growing In Your Garden? The gardenias, pictured below, are blowing my mind. They are stunning and smell out of this world. I am in such awe that they are growing in my garden. A few months ago, I went to the nursery looking to spruce up my garden with some succulents. Succulents are very popular right now, and they require very little care. They actually thrive in dry dirt. So they are a great choice if you want something beautiful but don’t want to fuss much with gardening. I wasn’t shopping for a gardenia tree. But, I was perusing the nursery and I figured I would check out the shade-loving plants, as I had recently dug up a small side yard in the shade. And there it was…in all of its glory. A beautiful, tall gardenia tree. It was magnificent, and it was calling out to me. I smelled [...]

18 06, 2018

Self-Care is Critical to Being of Maximum Service to Others

2020-11-11T15:25:40-08:00June 18th, 2018|Finding Me, Self Care|0 Comments

  It only took four days. Four. Painful. Days. I give up. I surrender. I wasn’t feeling well last week…stuffy head, runny nose, and a terrible sore throat.  The minute I feel a sore through coming on, I pop a few antibiotics and it’s usually taken care of..boom! And so it began—me poppin’ amoxicillin by the handful (well, not quite handfuls J, but you get the idea. And, nothing was happening. It wasn’t even touching this sore throat. It felt like I was getting sicker by the minute. I am an esthetician by trade. My work is up close and personal with my clients. I can’t afford to be sick. And, the company I work for…ahem…I own the company I work for…doesn’t pay sick time. So, I mottled along on pills picked up in Mexico and Advil Cold and Sinus (my go-to for everything.) On the fourth day, I couldn’t [...]

5 06, 2018

Pray Believe Listen Powerful Prayer

2020-11-11T15:25:40-08:00June 5th, 2018|Faith|2 Comments

  I remember it clearly. “God, do for me that which I cannot do for myself.” I prayed this prayer daily and many times throughout the day for at least six months leading up to my initiation into sobriety. The prayer typically ran through my head as I was glugging vodka straight out of the bottle. I couldn’t consume it fast enough. And, I gulped it down all day long. Each and every day…glug, glug, glug. “God, do for me that which I cannot do for myself.” Glug, glug, glug. “God, help me.” Glug, glug, glug. “Please God, I am helpless. Please do for me that which I cannot do for myself.” The prayer became stronger and stronger. And my might became weaker and weaker. This tornado of hell was rendering me incapacitated to the point that there was nothing left to do besides surrender. This was the lowest point [...]

31 05, 2018

Intuition is my Guide

2020-11-11T15:25:41-08:00May 31st, 2018|Early Sobriety, Faith|0 Comments

I am in the light. Intuition is my guide. Often it speaks softly. A gentle nudge within me. I m in the light. Intuition is my guide. Show me. Direct me. My heart is open wide. I am in the light. Listening with eyes open. It is divine sight. I am in the light. Trusting. Growing. Knowing. Trusting with no might. Trusting that inner voice. It is divine sight. The voice becomes louder as I step into the flow. Letting all guards down. This is where I am supposed to go. Expanding with the universe. Trust becomes my mantra. Embedded deep into my soul. I am in the light. Intuition is my guide. There is not place to hide. My heart is open wide.

28 05, 2018

Freedom and Courage in this Sober Life

2020-11-11T15:25:41-08:00May 28th, 2018|Freedom, Gratitude|0 Comments

    There are many words to describe the essence of Memorial Day, and they go hand in hand with my sober life. A few of them are mainstays in my daily vocabulary. Freedom. Gratitude. Courage. In contemplating the holiday today, I am beyond grateful for the courageous men and women who unselfishly serve(d) to protect our freedoms. Following our calling. For those I know in the military, it seems like a calling they have answered. What an amazing gift to realize your calling and then to be courageous enough to respond. How brave you must be to report to duty knowing that your physical well-being could easily be at-risk, and your mental peace could forever be disrupted. Sometimes I feel that I am called to do certain things in life, but I often quiet those voices with a quick “shish.” Shhh…quiet down. It’s too scary. Shhh…quiet down. What will [...]

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