Change, Transformation and Recovery
Change, true transformational change comes to everyone eventually. You may find the need for change thrust upon you from recovering from addictions, traumas, new or childhood or simply from leading an unsatisfying life. Getting to long lasting positive change, requires a toll, building upon your resilience, growth in unexpected ways, and need to create a sense of deep self-acceptance. The good news is at some point you may realize you are worthy and begin living a life that you love, maybe even being a person, you can love.
Often our life experiences and the tools, walls, coping skills we developed over time to protect ourselves become the very things that keep us stuck, slowly killing ourselves. These things now starving us from meaningful connections to not only our spiritual selves, but others and ultimately the one that needs us most, our wounded inner self!
Recovery is a great point from which to begin the journey of self-discovery. In fact, I often find I recommend people to participate in 12-step programs. One that I find effective for so many regardless of your identified issue is ACA or Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families. At its core it focuses on the need to learn to “reparent” ourselves. If we pause here, I would imagine not one of us could not find some sliver of ourselves where an appropriate level of acceptance or nurturing would not have aided us in developing a greater maturity? Some of those areas can be so significant as to leave us nearly incapable of sustaining relationships, sobriety or just plain having a life I want to be living.
Deep transformational work is a must if I want to change the root cause of the things that keep me stuck. Keep me using. Keep me hurting those around me. Keep me hurting those inner parts of myself that really need light and being seen and loved. For many those first steps are just the beginning. ACA for instance says right out loud, if you need help with your drinking, go to AA, if you need help in other ways hire a therapist. Recognizing that my best thinking got me “here” and that I am not likely to get out unscathed on my own, it is time to find help. There are many fantastic and powerful organizations and people out there that can help me create meaningful and lasting change and finding that life again I can enjoy and is worth living. Even the bible states that starting to plow the field is fifty percent of the work. That first step is the hardest in the world because it will take half of everything you have left in you to take it. The rewards in this work are exponential and profound because you have no idea who that beautiful person you are, will be, as you continue to evolve and unfurl your wings! Fly my friend!
Bryant Packard MS., LMFTA, PMP
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