“Man, I work so hard on my mood and anxiety woes. Sure, I know everyone has stuff they’re dealing with; but it seems like I have so much more.”
You sure don’t have to convince me. As a counselor and a recovered mood/anxiety disorder veteran, I know what you’re dealing with.
On any given day, the list can be long and seemingly hopeless. Do these sound familiar?
- “Dang, I feel so flat today. What’s up with that?”
- “I really have to make it to that appointment tonight. What if I have a derealization episode?”
- “When is this nightmare going to end?”
- “I have a meeting with my boss this afternoon, and I’m feeling so depressed and panicky. What am I going to do?”
- “Just how am I supposed to put a day together when I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in three days?”
- “Tonight’s the night I have to talk it over with my ex. How am I going to keep from snapping-off?”
- “Okay, that’s it. I’m just tired of this crap!”
In the midst of such thick and difficult stuff, how do you manage to sustain forward motion? Hmmm. Fact is, you may well not have an answer. But when the rubber meets the road, you most often come through.
And others just don’t know or understand, do they?
Don’t Lose the Forest for the Trees
It’s easy to understand why anyone who thinks and feels the things I listed would want to do most anything to find and sustain relief.
The point I’m making here is the notion of not losing the forest for the trees. I mean, most of you search and search and search for tips and techniques to help you manage your situation. Right?
But you can get so bogged down in the trees of seeking, learning, applying, and practicing that you lose sight of the big picture – the forest.
Are you following me? Hey, you need to do all you can to self-improve. But if you get so wrapped-up in the minutia, your focus upon the basics falls by the wayside.
8 Foundational Principles
To help you maintain focus where it belongs, I’m presenting these 8 Foundational Principles. Always keep them forward in your thinking…
- What are my recovery goals?
- Where am I now with regard to my goals?
- How have I improved?
- What needs more work?
- Who are the important people in my life?
- How are my relationships with my significant others?
- Are there new goals I need to establish?
- What do I need to do to sustain forward motion.
Let’s Close
Good old fashioned hard work is a good and necessary thing – especially when it means establishing and maintaining some measure of comfort – and a life.
However, if you’re not careful you’ll become so obsessed with the little things that you’ll totally lose perspective on what really matters – the forest.
Don’t allow that to happen. Stay focused on the 8 Foundational Principles!
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