Choice is an opportunity; it is a gift we are all given when we are created. However, over time we lose sight of the fact that we have the ability to choose. I think the loss starts when we are very young. We want to be good, we want to be accepted, we want to fit in. And so instead of asserting to choose, we compromise and go along with people or with the situation. Over time this compounds so that we barely recognize any longer that we have choice as an option. In short, it becomes so much easier if we don’t say no.
As we lose the power to choose, we can easily replace it with damaging bad habits. It is so easy to turn to something that comforts us and weakens our power even further. I suspect that this was part of the problem for Amy Winehouse. She lost her power of choice. She became tied to alcohol and drugs. No matter what rehab center they sent her to, she returned to the comfort of anesthetizing herself and drowning the voice she did not want to hear. The courage to choose a different path had been stripped away by all the sensationalism written about her psychological decline and frequent binges. They painted a gory picture of this poor, suffering soul who lost her grip on reality. This young woman had very little left to hang on to. Sadly something happened last Friday night to Amy Winehouse. We do not know what the official cause of her death was. I suspect it was related to making the wrong choice, probably the only one she thought she had.
Through my own experience with alcohol, I can relate to feeling like this. The addiction clouds your process to make decisions. If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction, simply try to stop even for just one day. The fog will start to clear and you will see that you do have the power of choice. It was there all the time. Choice brings you joy!
I would love to hear your own inspiring stories of how you moved from pain to power by over coming addictions. Please leave your comments below. I really look forward to reading them.
Live Faithfully,
Mal Duane
Alpha Chick
Mal Duane is a certified Personal Life Coach with more than 23 years in recovery from alcoholism, who has overcome devastating life challenges using the steps in the Alpha Chick Process. Her personal mission is to help women excel in all areas of their lives from business to personal relationships and attract that which they most desire, as she has, through a connection to the divine power within. Her book Alpha Chick, Five Steps for Moving from Pain to Power is coming in February 2012.
Be sure to subscribe to this blog for regular Alpha Chick updates and invitation to the Alpha Chick telesummit coming soon.
Addiction became the most important thing in my life for a lot of years. Nevermind that I was a college graduate, came from a wonderful family and had two precious little boys, my one love in my life was my DOC (drug of choice). I tried for many, many years to hang on to some semblance of a real life. I held a job, had my own apartment and was a thriving single mom from the vantage point of someone from the outside looking in. Actually I was an out of control addict spiraling downward, ever downward. I lost my job, I lost my apartment and had to move home. Eventually my parents got tired of my drugging and drinking and sent me to treatment. Well I stayed about 6 weeks and left. My parents sent me to many, many more treatment centers before they got really sick of me and pretty much kicked me out and my children went to live with my brother and his wife. For a couple of years I was pretty much homeless.
It was during this time that I was told that my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. This hit me really hard because no matter what awful thing I ever did my mom would always be there for me. I did some soul searching for a couple of months and then I prayed. I prayed for the opportunity to go to treatment just one more time. I asked God if he would allow me to this and to restore my family I would give the glory to Him. I went to a faith-based treatment with the help of a wonderful church and my parents. I was there 3 months when I moved home to take care of my mom full time. I spent the last 16 months of my mom’s life with her and she died in the peace that I was clean and sober. Its two and a half years and I am still clean and sober. I think this makes me a blessed Alpha Chick!
Rebecca,
I agree with you completely. You are an Alpha Chick. It touches my heart that you were able to go home and take care of your mother. I had the same gift when I became sober as well. The comment that really gripped me was the fact that you entered a FAITH based treatment. This is the key to overcoming addiction and all that goes with it.. I have written in detail about the five steps of Faith in my book which will be out in February 2012. I hope you will become a regular contributor on the site. Keep up the good work.