Destination...CHANGE
JOURNEY TO EMPOWERMENT
by
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"The Awakening" Self-awareness is developed through understanding our emotions as they relate to life's experiences.These feelings impact how we see ourselves and the choices we make. I hope this collection of simple poems with complex feelings enhances your perception of who you are as a person. Take advantage of the opportunity to process your innermost emotions provided by the journal questions. Find a safe, quiet place, grab a pen and embrace the journey.."Inside Me.
To acquire a solution, we must start at the inner core of our belief system and the events that set the stage, or if you will, the foundation for our adult development. The experience of embracing the truth requires total honesty, a lot of painful memories, and a complete commitment to walk though that pain. We adopt powerful coping skills or defense mechanisms (usually subconsciously and destructive) in order to cope and erase the pain. The results are self-destructive behaviors, i.e. low self esteem, co-dependency, unhealthy relationships, addiction, alcoholism etc. To address any if those destructive behaviors requires examining the early childhood pain outlined in the Damaged Emotion chart.
Core issues are the catalyst for most of our choices and decision we make as adults. They are developed by many different situations where our basic needs were not met by our family of origin, or we were smothered by over-zealous caretakers who did not allow us to mature emotionally, spiritually or mentally. We must be aware of these core issues in order to honestly evaluate our present situations. When these issues go unchecked, we tend to react to situations instead of responding to them in a healthy manner. This cause tension i all relationships. The unresolved issues create emotional baggage, polluting any chance of making choices that aren't unconsciously motivated by them. The core chart in the next chapter will allow you to process, identify and grow through those issues in order to see the world and situations as they are and not be distorted by past emotional baggage.
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About the Book
TORMENTED BY YEARS OF ADDICTION, SLEEPING IN ABANDONED HOUSES AND SELLING MY SOUL FOR THE NEXT ONE. Numerous prison terms, my home a tiny cell. Alone with only bare walls to reflect on my many failures. One abusive relationship after another, because of feeling unworthy. Drowning spiritually in confusion and the illusion that my life wasn’t that bad. Through the Forever Free substance abuse program in Chino prison, I began to grasp the concept of freedom and hope for a brighter future.
My journey into self evolved. I was able to uncover pieces of the puzzle, which had eluded me for years. Feeling confident, I started exploring my fears, disappointments and betrayals. Emerging with a new found sense of clarity, I felt compelled to share my quest out of darkness with you. My hope is that you learn to take the fragments of a broken existence and re-assemble them into the life you have always envisioned for yourself. Experience a new world filled with personal enlightenment and self discovery.
About the Author
I have been teaching this class for 11 years and have witnessed the transformations of the clients who have completed this process and the empowerment they have received. I would like to pass this information onto other treatment facilities and programs in general. This program is not only good for people in recovery, but anyone that has relationship issues and can’t understand why they have made such bad choices in their lives.
I have lived with these issues and this is my story. I have walked through this process and have seen how it has helped me with issues of substance abuse, relationships, etc. The poems at the beginning of this book were all written about me and many of the issues outlined in Part II are my issues. At the time they were written, poetry was the only way I knew how to convey my pain and confusion with my life at the time.
I reside in Riverside, California. I have been in recovery for 18 years and have been a counselor for substance abuse programs in the prison, supervisor and clinical coordinator at outpatient programs. Working with men and women that have all been tormented by their self-destructive choices and behaviors resulting in jails and institutions. I spend my time volunteering and enlightening those willing to take this journey of empowerment. I am also very active in the 12-step recovery program. I still write poetry, just not so confused with the substance. It’s more uplifting because I have found my way to the light. My creativity has evolved by making inspirational greeting cards and creating games for facilitating groups in treatment facilities.
My life is full and very rewarding, especially when I can see the light come on to those “lost” and searching for a way out of their self-destructive choices.