I’m pausing to reflect on all of my blessings in disguise. I’ve had countless painful and tragic experiences that came bearing gifts. I’m grateful that I walked through challenging times to find them.
I’ve had a couple of paradigm shifts as a result of misguided, fear-driven choices and behaviors. The first was my long battle with alcoholism and drug addiction. I tried for 15 years to control and enjoy my drinking, insisting I didn’t have a problem, then falling short of my ideal every time. I eventually had to admit that I needed to change everything or have nothing left to live for. I was blessed to find a new way of living, and I’ve been getting healthier and happier ever since. That day was March 8, 2003. I’ve experienced a miraculous transformation in my thinking and behavior. I have a connection to a power greater than myself that allows me to live free from the confines of my limited ego.
The other big life change was the realization that I’m not in control of anyone else’s behavior. I hit another kind of bottom I hadn’t expected. Being clean and sober for 6 years, I thought I had recovered this part of myself. Little did I know that my earlier recovery from alcoholism had just scratched the surface of a deeper issue. My codependency was at its strongest during a relationship that brought some painful lessons. This led me to a place of new desperation, an opportunity to find even more courage, serenity, and self-love than I had ever imagined.
All of these struggles brought me on an amazing journey, filled with compassion, love, and joy. I wouldn’t change a thing. A quote by Richard Bach says, “every problem holds a gift in its hands”. I believe that to be true for me today. Whenever I think my whole world is falling apart because something didn’t go as planned or I didn’t get what I wished for, I try to remember to practice gratitude for the valuable lesson that inevitably brings insight and positive growth. Everything feels divinely inspired when I can view it through a new kind of lens.
What are your blessings in disguise? If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything? When you let go, and let the lesson unfold, you may be delighted. I know that happened for me, and it will continue to reveal itself when I surrender to the present moment and choose to enjoy the ride.
gratefulx365 