Category: Peace
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This is part two, and the final part, of what helped me get into recovery, stay in recovery, and ultimately get off benzodiazepines. In the previous post, I talked about support, recovery groups like AA and NA, faith (including faith in yourself), and the importance of living authentically. I’ll continue here with several other things…
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This has turned into a much longer post than I intended, so I’m going to make it the first part of a two or three part series. Even this first part is long, but it feels important to share. I want to talk openly and plainly about some of the things that were, and are,…
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How late is too late to work on oneself? When is it too late to become a better person, not just toward others, but toward yourself as well? At almost 60 years old, clean and sober now, I don’t feel that it’s too late at all. I do wish I had started sooner, a lot…
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Yesterday marked one year since my last benzodiazepine. For so long, this date was a horizon I wasn’t sure I’d ever reach. A promise, a fear, a measuring stick. I waited with hope, dread, and exhaustion. Now it has come and gone. What I find is not fireworks or finality, but a quiet, surprising spaciousness…
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A couple of evenings ago,after a day and night of snowfall,we went out for food at one of our favorite places.When we came back outside,the sky looked like it had caught fire. New Mexico sunsets are always beautiful,but this one felt… alive.Pink and gold poured across the clouds,as if the mountains themselves were breathing light.I…
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One of the many things I’ve noticed about myself since coming off benzodiazepines is how sensitive my heart has become, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Information, strong emotions, even what I read or witness online can now have a very real impact on my body. I’ve written before about how benzo withdrawal has…
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In the past, I made New Year’s resolutions and almost always failed at them. Looking back, it’s clear why… most of them were unrealistic and disconnected from the realities of my life at the time. Eventually, I stopped making resolutions altogether. This year is different. This year, I’ve made resolutions I know I can keep…
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This is a response to some of the messages I’ve received regarding my last post. I didn’t write that post to offend anyone. It was written to reflect on something I find deeply troubling… the fact that a simple call for peace can provoke anger and hostility. When peace itself becomes offensive, it’s worth pausing…
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Some Buddhist monks are walking across the United States right now for peace. They aren’t doing this for spectacle. Monks do not leave their monasteries lightly or on a whim. When they do, it is usually because they perceive a great need. Throughout history, monks have walked through literal war zones, places where bullets were…