Taking up Life

Elder's Meditation of the Day - August 30 "I started drinking more seriously, seeking refuge, seeking death actually, from a world that was feeling more and more unnatural to me. Following a painful accident related to drinking, I finally realized that I must decide whether I want to follow my grandparents or truly take up this life. Circumstances that followed led me to choose life." -- Barney Bush, SHAWNEE I read this and it hit home to me. I have so many clients that have something happen where their souls do not want to be on this earth. Some of them take up drinking and others just take up hiding from life. They can be abused by their family and friends and wonder why life is so much suffering. Denial is a keyword here because you can tell that Barney Bush had an accident related to drinking. I have lived in a small town and have seen so many people who keep drinking after DUI's and they hurt others. Yet the drink is more important to them than their own life. It is more important than family, a job, or anything else in life. They are trying to drown their pain and their unhappiness. They always think of the times when they were drinking as the only times that they had any fun. They can not drink for years and yet the times when they were drinking are what they think of and mention. Sometimes you can leave the drinking but never quit being a drunk. I feel the same way about drugs, and now I have a way to try to help. Trauma or something happening that a person can not deal with causes this. Yet people do have a chance. They can each day find one thing they love and say Thank you to God, Allah, Buddha or whom ever that they worship. Loving yourself and doing things like loving kindness meditation where you send love to yourself will help. Realizing that many people are cruel because they are miserable and just not listening will work for most people. Taking responsibility for yourself and knowing that you can not blame your life choices on anyone else. Finding your true self never happens at the bottom of a bottle or in drugs. They are used to numb you so you do not feel things intensely. Knowing your true self is something that helps you to love yourself, and grow as a person.