Feeling Good - Melody Beattie

[clean42day]

Feeling Good

There is a positive aspect to boundary setting. We learn to listen to
ourselves and identify what hurts us and what we don't like. But we also
learn to identify what feels good.

When we are willing to take some risks and begin actively doing so, we
will enhance the quality of our life.

What do we like? What feels good? What brings us pleasure? Whose company
do we enjoy? What helps us to feel good in the morning? What's a real
treat in our life? What are the small, daily activities that make us
feel nurtured and cared for?

What appeals to our emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical self?
What actually feels good to us?

We have deprived ourselves too long. There is no need to do that any
more, no need. If it feels good, and the consequences are self-loving
and not self-defeating, do it! ......M.B.

[janbear]

Music is something that is self-nuturing to me. Helping me spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

[clean42day]

The one areas of my recovery that has been lacking is re-defining things that I actually enjoy. Some of the healthy things I enjoyed in life had been lost to years of addiction.

music was one of them. At 3 and a half years clean, I just recently realized that I missed a whole 10 years of music through the 90's. I was homeless then and was so out of touch. People ask me don't you love that song? and I can't relate? how sad. not only do I not know the song I can't recall the bands who sang those new songs they are new to me. it is sometimes embarrassing

just recently I downloaded a program so I can now burn my own music. it is soooo cool to reclaim this missing part of my life. to re-discover the music that lifted my soul in the good ole days, but to discover for the first time the songs of the lost years of Gail.

I feel like a kid in a candy store, with a credit card in my hand

What appeals to our emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical self?
What actually feels good to us?

When we are willing to take some risks and begin actively doing so, we
will enhance the quality of our life.

When was the question for the first two years. now I am willing and it doesn't feel so riskly anymore....I can trust myself to stay grounded in my fun and not go overboard.....if that makes sense?

[janbear]

makes sense to me Gail

[flickchic]

Originally Posted by clean42day

I feel like a kid in a candy store, with a credit card in my hand

Gail, this is a good post, thankyou. I too know the above feeling...it's pretty alright hey!!! As with Jan music is something that I also find self nurturing.

I spent quite a while downloading music and burning it for everyone else, which is fine, however fairly recently I decided I could do some for me too, music that is really me, my 'flavours'...it's funny you mention the candy store...I always refer to music as a 'flavour' (taste) when I ask Mark what he'd like to listen to..."which flavour?"..

I guess you could look at your journey back in time rediscovery the lost years of music as a bit of a bonus actually....think of how much you have yet to discover!!! WOW!!....

I like to try new flavours...instead of being stuck in the same albums all the time...I go searching and previewing much different stuff....take the risk..never know what you might find...I recently discovered two new composers that I adore...heard a song from each on Air radio (satellite) and now have downloaded as much as I could find...it was one of those albums I had put together that got me back to listening yesterday actually.....musical compositions derived from nature. I hadn't had the house stereo on since I returned from hospital.....didn't have the desire for noises of any kind....but the amp got a nice big boost y.day while I was out gardening and gosh it so filled me with joy. I had been caught in quite a rut since my op and was denying myself the things that truly give me joy on a personal level, gardening, walking the hills and music....I have been busy with them all again this week and I am so much happier mentally, emotionally and spiritually and even physically due to the walks and physical activity.

I truly hope you enjoy your musical journey Gail