Tuesday, February 28, 2006
A Very Good Monday to You, Too
Today was an absolutely wonderful day that has left me feeling uplifted and full of gratitude.
My project is progressing nicely. The maintenance manager is progressing rapidly in his understanding of the system and what it can do for his operation. He also arose to the challenge of entering new master data into one of the test systems. This is something that I had done for him up to this point. But today he expressed interest in doing it himself, so I talked him through it for about 15 minutes, and then retreated to my desk. He popped in occasionally with questions, all good ones. Now that he has taken ownership of this part of the project, I can begin making preparations in other areas - a bit ahead of schedule!
I also met with my new trainer this evening. His name is Harly and he is certified by a couple of Canadian agencies. Besides weight training and cardio he is also very much into flexibility and yoga. My objective is to resume a fitness regimen under his tutelage. This way I can ease back into it safely, without injuries but challenged when appropriate. Also, if I have an appointment with him, I'll show up. It seems like a good way to get back into a habit that went by the wayside when I started recovery. My main goals are to improve my health by losing some bodyfat and increasing my cardio-vascular fitness. Of course a reduced waistline and regaining some of the physique I had before I got clean won't hurt the old self-esteem, either.
I also went to "the" Gay/Lesbian AA meeting tonight. It was a small group, in the basement of a Ukranian Catholic Church. About a dozen people were present. It was a good meeting, with the topics being honesty and belief in a higher power. I felt very safe there, and was able to be honest about a topic about which I have been fearful lately. The counsel I got from some of the members of the group was unanimous: put my own sobriety first, even if it means not hanging out with a friend whose behavior could be toxic to me at this point in time.
After the meeting one of the women asked me if I had any local phone numbers. I replied that I didn't. Well now I have several. They also mentioned a men's retreat on an island near here the next weekend that I stay over. I think I'll have to look into that.
My hopes for the next several weeks is that this can be a period of growth. During business hours I will be devoted to my client's growth. During the evening hours I can focus on improving my health and working a strong program. That won't leave time for much of anything else, and for now, that is a good thing.
Tonight I am grateful for:
-- A client who is teachable and willing to take risks and learn.
-- For my new trainer, who will help me back into some positive exercise habits that I had while using but lost in early sobriety.
-- For finding a great AA group for the second night in a row.
-- For all of the people in that group who made me feel at home and made up a phone list for me. That really helped me to start feeling that I'm "a part of" their group.
-- For the knowledge that it is ok to put my own sobriety ahead of the wants or needs of others.
-- For caring enough about myself to put my own sobriety ahead of the feelings of a friend - could this mean that I'm starting to love myself, even just a little bit?
-- For the group of friends from St. Stephens who have included me in their Friday Lenten supper program, on the Fridays that I will be home.
My project is progressing nicely. The maintenance manager is progressing rapidly in his understanding of the system and what it can do for his operation. He also arose to the challenge of entering new master data into one of the test systems. This is something that I had done for him up to this point. But today he expressed interest in doing it himself, so I talked him through it for about 15 minutes, and then retreated to my desk. He popped in occasionally with questions, all good ones. Now that he has taken ownership of this part of the project, I can begin making preparations in other areas - a bit ahead of schedule!
I also met with my new trainer this evening. His name is Harly and he is certified by a couple of Canadian agencies. Besides weight training and cardio he is also very much into flexibility and yoga. My objective is to resume a fitness regimen under his tutelage. This way I can ease back into it safely, without injuries but challenged when appropriate. Also, if I have an appointment with him, I'll show up. It seems like a good way to get back into a habit that went by the wayside when I started recovery. My main goals are to improve my health by losing some bodyfat and increasing my cardio-vascular fitness. Of course a reduced waistline and regaining some of the physique I had before I got clean won't hurt the old self-esteem, either.
I also went to "the" Gay/Lesbian AA meeting tonight. It was a small group, in the basement of a Ukranian Catholic Church. About a dozen people were present. It was a good meeting, with the topics being honesty and belief in a higher power. I felt very safe there, and was able to be honest about a topic about which I have been fearful lately. The counsel I got from some of the members of the group was unanimous: put my own sobriety first, even if it means not hanging out with a friend whose behavior could be toxic to me at this point in time.
After the meeting one of the women asked me if I had any local phone numbers. I replied that I didn't. Well now I have several. They also mentioned a men's retreat on an island near here the next weekend that I stay over. I think I'll have to look into that.
My hopes for the next several weeks is that this can be a period of growth. During business hours I will be devoted to my client's growth. During the evening hours I can focus on improving my health and working a strong program. That won't leave time for much of anything else, and for now, that is a good thing.
Tonight I am grateful for:
-- A client who is teachable and willing to take risks and learn.
-- For my new trainer, who will help me back into some positive exercise habits that I had while using but lost in early sobriety.
-- For finding a great AA group for the second night in a row.
-- For all of the people in that group who made me feel at home and made up a phone list for me. That really helped me to start feeling that I'm "a part of" their group.
-- For the knowledge that it is ok to put my own sobriety ahead of the wants or needs of others.
-- For caring enough about myself to put my own sobriety ahead of the feelings of a friend - could this mean that I'm starting to love myself, even just a little bit?
-- For the group of friends from St. Stephens who have included me in their Friday Lenten supper program, on the Fridays that I will be home.
# posted by 12StepSteve @ 12:10 AM 
