The Global Conversation

Tag: I am

  • They are just words, or are they more?

    Hi my name is  (_________) and I am an addict, alcoholic, compulsive gambler, sex addict, risk taker, over-eater.  These words are repeated daily by millions of people in recovery.  The reason given for saying these things lies in the belief that those who forget are doomed to repeat.  This is decent logic, but is there a better way to achieve the same result?  And when I say better I mean, more effective.  After all, isn’t effectiveness the goal of all that we do in life?

    Life is all about the effects.  Our thoughts, words and actions, are the process that we use to create the effects which we desire to experience in our lives.  Not very many people would ever admit to striving for mediocrity, although behaviors may indicate otherwise.  Most people wish for and strive for higher and higher effectiveness in their daily lives.

    I’d like to call into question the logic of placing a derogatory statement about ourselves behind the two most powerful words in the human language.  If those of us in recovery are seeking to remain abstinent from the substances and behaviors that we found ourselves unable to control, wouldn’t it stand to reason that we may want to make a more positive and empowering statement about who we are?

    In the world of recovery there is most important thing is of course personal sobriety.  In order to achieve and maintain long term sobriety a person either needs to be extremely determined not to use under any circumstances or create a life that is so grand that using would never even be an option.  I recommend the second choice there if you are wondering.  The first option is called abstinence or as the old timers would call it, “dry drunk.”  The second option is called sobriety.

    You may ask, what is the difference between abstinence and sobriety?  That is a very good question.  Abstinence is simply taking away the substance like alcohol or drugs and doing nothing at all about the underlying conditions that created the issues in the first place.

    Sobriety is a daily practice of self awareness and self improvement.  Persons who take on the role of raising their consciousness about themselves and their surroundings often find themselves to be happy and fulfilled, as well as inspiring to others.  Sobriety in this form is very contagious and people flock to you to share in the energy.

    Many words have negative energy as well as negative connotations surrounding them.  Words like, junky, crackhead, drunkard, lush, addict, alcoholic etc, not only have a darkening effect on the user but also projects out that same dark energy to surrounding ears.  Place the words “I am” right before them and we are actually summoning that definition to our reality.

    There is a recovery film out now called “The Anonymous People.”  If you get an opportunity to watch this please do.  In this documentary the political history of the 12 step programs is investigated deeply.  Many people have lobbied our politicians to find more funding for recovery programs and addiction treatment facilities. Currently the political answer to addiction is incarceration. Because we can all see how well the prison system is reforming people (sarcasm.)

    So the question then becomes how is that one of the greatest public health threats, addiction, isn’t treated as a healthcare issue?  One possible answer lies with the image of those of us in recovery.  When a person who is not in recovery hears one of us introduce our self as, “Hi, I’m Kevin, and I am a drug addict.”  They see a person with a moral deficiency.

    The same “normal” person responds differently when I introduce myself in a more positive light.  Hi, my name is Kevin McCormack.  I am a person in long term recovery from the disease of addiction.  For me long term means almost 27 years of continuous sobriety.  In those 27 years I have experienced great things in my life such as a long term job of 20 plus years, continued education, but most of all the respect of my family, friends and self.

    This type of shift in our language not only sheds light on the positive in our life which keeps our mind on what is most important, but it also brings about a certain level of respect and admiration from those who do not fully understand the disease of addiction.

    Ultimately, personal recovery is goal number one, however, the twelve steps is very clear that “we cannot keep what we have without giving it away.”  How can we give it away if we are hidden away in the basement of a church surrounded by those who have already found it?

    Humanity would be well served if we took the anonymity of ourselves a little less literally.  By all means I am not saying we should disclose someone else’s participation in recovery.  But it serves very little good to keep who we are secret.  It is time to stand together and raise the awareness of those in need.  Recovery is possible. A happy, productive life is at your finger tips.  Come walk with us, people in long term recovery who wish to help others achieve the same.

    (Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and Recovery Advocate.  He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, recovery coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery.  Kevin has a passion for holistic living, personal awareness training, and physical meditation. You can visit his website Life After Addicton for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)

  • The shift is about to hit the fan!

    Hollywood Director Tom Shadyac, most notably recognized for directing blockbuster comedies like “Ace Ventura:  Pet Detective” and “Bruce Almighty” and “The Nutty Professor,” detours away from familiar territory in his thought-provoking documentary “I AM,” where he tackles head-on probing questions that a large number of people in our world are asking today:

    What is wrong with the world?

    What can we do to make it better?

    After a debilitating bicycle accident in 2007, Shadyac journeyed into a self-exploration of his own life and examined closely the obscure concept of “happiness.”  As he sat in the living room of his 17,000-square foot mansion, surrounded by priceless antiques, expensive cars, and a luxurious private jet, he came to the realization that none of these “things” made him any happier.  And he proceeded to sell and give away everything he owned, moved into a mobile home, and set out to create a documentary about what is “wrong” with the world.

    Shadyac describes the movie “I AM” as the “Ultimate Reality Show.”  The film highlights interviews with scientists, psychologists, artists, environmentalists, authors, activists, and philosophers in its quest to discover the meaning of all life.  “I didn’t want to hear the usual answers, like war, hunger, poverty, the environmental crisis, or even greed,” Shadyac explains.  “These are not the problems, they are the symptoms of a larger endemic problem.  In I AM, I wanted to talk about the root cause of the ills of the world, because if there is a common cause, and we can talk about it, air it out in a public forum, then we have a chance to solve it.”

    Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the scientifically supported discoveries emerging out of this nonfiction documentary are in alignment with many of the messages held within the New Spirituality movement:

    “Humans actually function better and remain healthier when expressing positive emotions, such as love, care, compassion, and gratitude, versus their negative counterparts, anxiety, frustration, anger and fear.”

    “The heart, not the brain, may be man’s primary organ of intelligence, and that human consciousness and emotions can actually affect the physical world.”

    “Humankind’s real power comes in their ability to perform complex tasks together, to sympathize and cooperate.”

    “I AM isn’t as much about what you can do, as who you can be.  And from that transformation of being, action will naturally follow.”

    I wholeheartedly recommend this film of awakening, where science and spirituality link arms, out of which gives birth once again the undeniable realization that:  We are all connected.

    Visit the I AM website here.

    (Lisa McCormack is the Managing Editor & Administrator of The Global Conversation.  She is also a member of the Spiritual Helper team at www.ChangingChange.net, a website offering emotional and spiritual support .   To connect with Lisa, please e-mail her at Lisa@TheGlobalConversation.com.)

    (If there is a book, movie, music CD, etc. that you would like to recommend to our worldwide audience, please submit it to our Managing Editor, Lisa McCormack, for possible publication in this space. Not all submissions can be published, due to the number of submissions and sometimes because of other content considerations, but all are encouraged. Send submissions to Lisa@TheGlobalConversation.com. Please label the topic: “Review”)