Paths

“Life is full of choices… The path behind: a shadow cast by lessons unheeded… The path ahead is beautiful, bright, Alive”

This speaks volumes to my path of recovery, dealing with my demons and addictions and the misbegotten half-truths woven into me as I grew. This speaks to a microscopic level of intimate honesty with our actions, down to choosing what thoughts we encourage and which we do not.

For me, this is about choosing to pollute myself with tobacco smoke or alcohol or reddit or binge watching or too much dependence for happiness on another person or whatever addiction manifests as. We all have that hungry ghost, some maintain it better than others.

For those who struggle with addiction, or with negativity, or with depression, I hope this speaks to you.

Really, every moment is a choice. We can choose to wallow in our own selfish shit and abandon the living world around us, or we can bare ourselves and take those courageous steps forward towards the beautiful life ahead of us. We can keep relearning the lessons of why we shouldn't do XYZ and how life would be better if ABC didn't happen, but when it comes down to it, that's all just self talk. We talk talk positively, or negatively. We can be neutral, too, but usually that's seeing the forest from the trees and requires an outside perspective to awaken to.

Shadow work is good, but getting stuck in it will be the end of your happiness and growth.

Every moment is a choice that we are responsible and accountable for, if only to ourselves, but it does reflect into the outside world, no matter how small the choice. It can be a step into the radiance of full authentic self expression, healthy, wholesome, and co-creative, or it can be toxic, self-destructive, self-defense, abandoning the world to wallow in pity and woe.

What sounds better?

What choices do you need to make, what boundaries do you need to set, that you don't keep reliving your shadow world?