Dear diary
I wanted to update my journal but could not find the right word for a few days now.
I wanted to talk about what happen to me for many years when I depend on my own free will, and how I did not have the strength to stay stop for too long. I tried GA and the 12 steps recovery program, it has help millions but it didn’t work for me too well until one day when I have a Higher Power, I found the strength in the Higher Power, it made a big difference in my recovery when I do Step 2 and 3.
I was troubled by some reservation that I had kept for many years, I have tried for 10 years to rid this problem but I could not clean it completely. With a Higher Power helping me now, I was making progress in Step 4,5,6 and 7.
Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Step 7: Humbly asked God to remove our shortcoming.
The wisdom and knowledge found in Step 4, 5, 6 and 7 by the grace of God help me grow stronger by removing the character defect I had slowly one at a time.
Initially, I thought there was only God given strength and our strength thru willpower and determination. After I google on line to find the right words to describe my feelings, I found to my amazement more information on this which really open up my eyes on the subject of strength, and how it has help me in my recovery.
Mental Strength and Toughness thru Wisdom and Knowledge
Cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge in recovery
1. Strength of Creativity:
Thinking of new and productive ways to get things done in recovery
2. Strength of Curiousity:
Taking interest in our on going experience for our recovery sake
3. Strength of Judgement / Critical thinking skill:
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides, not jumping to conclusions; being able to change one’s mind in light of evidence, weighing all evidence fairly.
4. Strength of Love for learning:
Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one’s own or formally; related to the strength of curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knows
5. Strength of Perspective
Being able to provide wise counsel to others; having ways of looking at the world that make sense to onself and to other people.
Mental Strength and Toughness thru Courage
6. Bravery: Not running away from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; speaking up for what is right even if there is opposition, acting on convictions even if unpopular
7. Perseverance: Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacle; taking pleasure in completing tasks.
8. Honesty: Speaking the truth; taking responsibility for one’s feeling and actions
9. Zest: Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things half heartedly; living life as an adventure, feeling alive and activated.
Mental Strength and Toughness thru Humanity
An interpersonal strengths that nvolve tending and befriending others
10. Love:
Valuing close relationships with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated, being close to people.
11. Kindness:
Doing favors and good deeds for others, helping them. Taking care of them.
12. Social Intelligence:
Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself; knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what make other people tick.
Mental Strength and Toughness thru Justice
A civic strength that underlie healthy community life
13. Teamwork ( citizenship, social responsibility, loyalty):
Working well as a member of a group or team, being loyal to the group, doing one’s share.
14. Fairness:
Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others: giving everyone a fair chance.
15. Leadership:
Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done, and at the same time maintaining good relations within the group, organizing group activities and seeing that they happen.
Mental Strength and Toughness thru Temperance
A strength that protect against excess; moderation in action, thought or feeling and restraint.
16. Forgiveness:
Forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting the shortcomings of others, giving people a second chance and not being vengeful.
17. Humility:
Letting one’s accomplishments speak for themselves; not regarding oneself as more special than one is.
18. Prudence
Being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regretted.
19. Self-Regulation (Self-control)
Regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one’s appetites and emotions.
Mental Strength and Toughness thru Transcendence
Strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning
20. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence (Awe, wonder, elevation):
Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence and skilled performance in various domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.
21. Gratitude:
Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks
22. Hope (optimism, future-mindedness, future orientation):
Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it, believing that a good future is something that can be brought about.
23. Humour (playfulness)
Like to laugh and tease, bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (not necessarily telling) jokes.
24. Spirituality (faith, purpose):
Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe; knowing where one fits within the large scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape the conduct and provide comfort.