February Better Life in Recovery Community Event Planning Meeting

Better Life in Recovery is transforming lives with recovery. Our mission is to deal hope and reduce stigma surrounding addictions and mental health through community service, education and awareness events that celebrate people in long-term recovery. We are trying to make an impact on recovery with recovery!

Put Your Best Foot Forward to Reduce Recovery Stigma

What does putting your best foot forward mean?

It means you lead with your strongest selling point, your strengths. If I am applying for a job, that means my resume leads with my positives. If I am interviewing, I talk about my accomplishments. I steer the focus away from my deficits and towards my strengths. I also avoid buzz words that could leave a negative lasting impression on the person I am talking to.

Someone who does this well would be Donald Trump. Mr. Trump has filed bankruptcy 4 times. When he meets someone in the community, how do you think he refers to himself? “Hi, my name is Donald and I am a businessman who has filed bankruptcy 4 times.” Of course not, he refers to himself by his successes. When people think of him they think of his successful properties and TV show.

What does this have to do with recovery?

Everything!

Long-Term Recovery beats Addiction Hands Down

As an addict, I lacked concern for anything other than my next high. As an agnostic I lacked accountability. For me, those combined for a perfect storm of problems. (I am not saying all addicts and agnostics are this way, but I was.)

I could manufacture and sell methamphetamine without caring about its' impact on other people. I could hurt people over tiny amounts of money and not worry about any spiritual repercussions. I could steal from anyone, sleep with whoever I wanted to and leave them immediately after with no concerns other than legal ramifications.

Life was easy and uncomplicated. Unless the police caught me, I would never be held responsible for the things that I did. Even if they caught me, I would still never have to answer for EVERYTHING that I had done to people. My life was all about me.