Common Senses

Before addiction
I was one with my children
I could HEAR their dreams
Helping fulfill their goals

Before I drank
I was their hero
I could SEE them grow
Molding and shaping them

Before addiction
I was one with my children
I could TASTE the future
Building a legacy for them each day

Before I got high
I was clear and present
I could SMELL their successes
Inhaling every triumph they achieved

Before addiction
I was one with my children
I could TOUCH their souls
Healing and growing alongside them

Sharpen my senses
Make me one with my children

~S.D.

“Chop Wood, Carry Water”

What I do every day
Is nothing special:
I simply stumble around.
What I do is not thought out,
Where I go is unplanned.
No matter who tries to leave their mark,
The hills and dales are not impressed.
Collecting firewood and carrying water
Are prayers that reach the gods.

"Before enlightenment chop wood, carry water… after enlightenment chop wood, carry water!"

“Let Them” Cassie Phillips

“Let Them”

Just Let them.

If they want to choose something or someone over you, LET THEM.

If they want to go weeks without talking to you, LET THEM.

If they are okay with never seeing you, LET THEM.

If they are okay with always putting themselves first, LET THEM.

If they are showing you who they are and not what you perceived them to be, LET THEM.

If they want to follow the crowd, LET THEM.

If they want to judge or misunderstand you, LET THEM.

If they act like they can live without you, LET THEM.

If they want to walk out of your life and leave,
hold the door open, AND LET THEM.

Let them lose you.
You were never theirs, because you were always your own.

So let them.

Let them show you who they truly are, not tell you.

Let them prove how worthy they are of your time.

Let them make the necessary steps to be a part of your life.

Let them earn your forgiveness.

Let them call you to talk about ordinary things.

Let them take you out on a Thursday.

Let them talk about anything and everything just because it’s you they are talking to.

Let them have a safe place in you.

Let them see the heart in you that didn’t harden.

Let them love you.

Author: Cassie Phillips

“Everything” Nic D

I'm your fire starter, your cold water
Out the faucet when you're hot 'n bothered
Blue collar shot caller
I'm your know it all, don't know nada
Treat you proper
I'm your deep pockets, your last dollar
From the bottom
I'm your best friend, I'm your enemy
I'm the best thing you could ever need
I'm the gas light to your energy
The fresh air you forget to breathe
I'm the one you tell everything, who you don't wanna talk to
Hold open doors, doors that you don't wanna walk through
I'm a good talk, I'm a real bad fight
I'm a dark spot, I'm a real bright light
I'm your fresh tank, I'm your I'm on empty
I'm your no one knows me better and your you don't get me
I'm a load off, I'm a hard days work
I'm a god send, I'm your I need church
And I'm your one last hope that there might be love
I'm the one bad note in the song you sung
I'm a good cheap date but I'm way too cheap
I'm your stay up late, I'm your let me sleep
I'm your best friend, I'm your enemy
I'm the best thing you could ever need
I'm the gas light to your energy
The fresh air you forget to breathe
I'm the one you tell everything, who you don't wanna talk to
Hold open doors, doors that you don't wanna walk through
I'm a good talk, I'm a real bad fight
I'm a dark spot, I'm a real bright light
And I'm your first drink, I'm your one too many
I'm your light-hearted heart when things get heavy
I'm the long hard talk that you never hadAnd I'm the only good thing left when things go bad

I Was Wrong

Where was I to blame?

I made impulsive decisions based on fear.
I had unrealistic, selfish expectations. 
I lied, failed to be forthcoming with the truth, and was generally dishonest.
I acted out of anger, held grudges, and did not forgive.

I am responsible and accountable.

How can I make it right?

I pause, responding instead of reacting, regardless of fear.
I do not make demands and avoid putting my wants before the whole.
I am honest, separating the truth from the false, while tempering my words with compassion.
I embrace acceptance, let go of that which no longer serves me, and forgive as I wish to be forgiven.

~S.D.

This Morning

I re-dedicate my life to serenity:
Everything I do becomes a celebration of courage to change
Everything I think becomes a prayer for acceptance of what is
Everything I experience becomes a testament to intuitive wisdom

I have direction, purpose, and worth:
I found strength greater than my physical craving
I know manageability beyond my mental obsession
I discovered a solution for my spiritual malady

Body, mind and spirit, I have recovered
Body, mind and spirit, I am recovering
Body, mind and spirit, I will recover

~ S.D.

Send And Receive

Let the vibrations between crest and trough lessen in intensity and frequency

I am calm, relaxed, and here
Show me how to exist centered, grounded, and in harmony within myself

I no longer need dramatic extremes
Free me from the bondage of self that I may better be in this moment

There is nothing good and nothing bad in this Universe, there is only energy flowing forward
Teach me to stop fighting everything and anyone and focus on the now

I am an efficient and effective conduit for transmitting and transmuting power

I am an essential component in an equation greater than me

~S.D.

I Want

There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting. Want can be the basis for hope and dreams. Want can usher me out of procrastination, anger, and fear. It is this driving force of desire, that when coupled with action, can breathe life into vision.

Problems arise from my attachment to possible outcomes and placing what I think I want before what I truly need. I confuse wants with needs or cling to them unnecessarily as if I am somehow deserving of a specific thing. I am shortsighted in terms of the role I am here to play. This myopic perspective keeps me from seeing the larger picture. I focus entirely on self and what I presume to be best for me. I become blinded by wanting. Want keeps me from being present here and now.

Wanting, at its extreme, is a lack of trust that the Universe will keep me safe and protected, no matter the situation or circumstance. Though I will try incessantly, outcomes cannot be skewed by expectation and entitlement. At its worst, wanting can spiral out of control, mutating into obsession. I must learn to balance desire with acceptance and humility.

It’s completely reasonable to envision what life could be and to work towards that goal. The aim must be for me to temper what I want with what the Universe presents to me and that which I attract with my actions. There must be less attachment to results, than gratitude for what is.

I seek to be liquid in wanting
investing in the journey not the destination
I strive to be patient waiting with grace
In action I work toward a vision past self
Not in my time
Not on my terms
Not according to my plan
I do more than I want

~S.D.

A Canoe

I am a canoe.

Floating.

I float in the stream of life. I cling to the illusion of control as I try to paddle and steer. I am at the mercy of the unseen currents.
The water and the wind take me where they may. I pretend I guide the course, but it amounts to struggling against the inevitable. My flailing causes splashes and ripples that disturb the stream’s natural state. The more I lean, the more I risk upsetting the glide of my hull against the liquid body all around me. I must remain buoyant.
The reality of my condition is to enjoy the ride. I am simply one tiny vessel traveling the same stream as my fellows. We draw near and we drift apart. Each tributary varies but all water flows to the same destination.