Newsletter #3 Prayer and Meditation

Life since Covid has been different. We all went through major changes during the time we were all locked in our homes. It was very traumatic. Some liked being at home because isolation is their happy place but for others it was a time of fear and uncertainty. Today things are open and at least for today we all are trying to manage and get back life like it used to be but will it ever happen? 

I am not sure of that but what I am sure of is that more women are drinking than ever before and more people are feeling hostile and angry over the changes that have occurred and what do you do when you are angry and you have no control? Pick up a drink or a drug to numb your feelings but the problem is that in the end it doesn't work…it hurts us. 

When I was getting sober I was very anxious and on edge, I had so many pent up feelings I was a little crazy. All I wanted was to live and experience life. It was as if I was given a new pair of glasses.. I wanted to scream from the rooftops that booze wasn’t the answer, life is the answer! Being awake and embracing your feelings for what they are in the moment was the true answer. 

Wanting to run away from today is normal, staring back at yesterday was where I lived most of my life and the other was in the future…what if this happens, what if that happens and I could not find peace! It was so exhausting…I would wake up exhausted from my dreams of shame, remorse, sadness it was so overwhelming. I wanted something to help me! Please….

Prayer was easy because I have always prayed, meditation now that was BIG for me…I mentioned earlier I have a lot of emotions and feelings racing through my brain and the thought of me sitting in a lotus posture, with my hands resting on my knees would be comfortable and zen NOT! It sounded like absolute hell to me. BUT I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING….When I started meditating ,I wanted no part of it. But, rather than running away I signed up for a meditation course, I had heard it was good for me but I feared so much. Time to walk through the fear. 

To surmise what I learned, meditation in my opinion is a time out! I will always have thoughts but what I learned to do with the thoughts was the key...I didn't have to do anything! In meditation I watch my thoughts go by (like clouds in the sky) and I don't have to react! OMG this is what I had been looking for a tool to not react! 

Reacting in times of fear and stress has not been pretty in my past. I scream, yell and act like a maniac and no one benefits from those outbursts. It is up to me as an adult to learn what to do not to react and for me it is truly taking 5 minutes just to sit and relax, breathe and feel. Everything is ok, it may not be perfect but it is manageable if I can take time just to be and accept that life is ever changing. I can't stop the change…I can’t stop the waves coming in…I have to accept these things and learn to ride the wave. 

Some days are harder than others, but I promise you,  if you take the time to pray and meditate your life will change and it will be for the better. 

Have a happy happy 

XO

Elizabeth aka Bizzy

Newsletter #2

Happy Friday the 12th of January 2024

Why is it that when our children are young, we can’t wait for them to grow up? Then they do what is natural and they fly away, we feel lost. My kids have left so many times and each time they do it hurts.

In my addiction, I ran from hurt and pain and today I sit in it. I feel the emotions and I use the tools that I have learned on my journey. Walk…pray and know that they will be back one day. 

Hope is such a great resource. 

We all need hope…something to look forward to in the future. A trip, a party, a lunch or coffee with a friend. Even a plan to catch up with an old friend over the phone is something to look forward to in future. 

Change is constant. Nothing stays the same, trees grow leaves in the spring and flourish in the summer, then the fall comes and all of the leaves fall and, in the winter, they lay dormant waiting for the spring to come again. As human beings we are similar. We go through times of vitality and thrive and times where we go through the pains of letting things go and waiting for time to pass so that we can grow again. 

Being a mother has been one of if not the greatest gifts that I have had the honor to do. It isn’t easy but it is so rewarding. Each stage of our children’s lives is different. Some days you feel like I am an amazing Mom and other days you think, why did I sign up for this! Being a woman and going through these stages is a true gift. 

Today people are confused and sick into thinking that God made them one way and they aren’t comfortable so I am going to go to the extreme and change who I am because I am uncomfortable. But sadness, remorse, and anger don’t last forever. It is fleeting like the leaves on the tree. 

Finding the tools that work for you to change is what is important. 

Take the time to see what works for you. Meditation, journaling, prayer, communication with another is just a couple of means to allow us to cope. 

In my opinion the world has made everything so fast. We can get in a silver tube and speed across the countryside, we can jump on a plane and be on the other side of the world in 24 hours. Instantaneous gratification is great when you want a hamburger but human emotions take time to marinate. It takes work! And not work that you need to climb a mountain pushing a large bolder but self-reflection takes time and courage. It isn’t easy but having the ability to give things the time that they need is imperative to a happy life. 

Give yourself the gift of time to reflect and small little things to look forward to in the future…life is a journey not a destination. 

Have a Happy happy 

Elizabeth 

New Year! New Weekly Newsletter!

Hello to my Subscribers! 

It has been a while since I have written and it feels good to be back at the keyboard. 

I am evolving! It has been over 17 years since I put down my last drink and everyday my sobriety is at the top of my gratitude list. One of the benefits to having so much time is that I get to look back over time and see the changes I have made and what changes are being made around me. 

What has transpired over the last 17 years is really shocking! When I went to meetings in the beginning you could smoke cigarettes in the meeting rooms and one of the big jobs was to clean the ashtrays and now in ’24 you can be arrested for smoking a cigarette in a public space but you can purchase marijuana in a lot of cities around America. (I know that there is a Marijuana store right across the street from a drug and alcohol rehab...)  It is insane… 

Growing up one of the big things about weed was that it made you stupid…it was referred to as dope because it truly made you a dope and today it is ok to smoke weed. In fact, some doctors prescribe weed to calm you down, help you sleep and literally 17 years ago you could be arrested for having a joint! 

We are living in such a changing environment and I will be here to give my opinions when I feel that I need to speak up. I have a voice and I like to use it to encourage others and help people realize that human contact is important and that you and your beliefs are important. You are not alone with an AI robot yet! 

This year I will continue producing two podcasts a week, but every Wednesday I will be on solo… (but I may have a sidekick producer by my side….that is still in the works) I will be sharing my insights on a bunch of different topics. If you have any ideas or questions that you want me to answer please reach out and I promise to respond. 

Lastly, after a couple of years of sabbatical I have decided to take on clients again. So, if you or someone you know could benefit from an extra set of eyes please reach out. 

Until next Friday, have a wonderful week and keep getting busy living sober. 

XO 

Elizabeth