Drug Rehab Options Blog

The secret of life is to know when enough is enough.
- Dr. Vincent Ryan

This was my father's favorite saying in his final years, and one of the last thing he said to me before he died. I was contemplating selling my house and moving to a smaller one, and that was his pronouncement on the subject.

It was kind of ironic, since there he was, a family doctor for forty years, gasping and wheezing over the phone, barely able to speak, dying from smoking too much. But the fact that he learned the lesson late doesn't negate the truth. And it goes straight to the heart of the issue of gratitude; namely, that gratitude makes us feel like we have enough, whereas ingratitude leaves us in a state of deprivation in which we are always looking for something else.

That's why the idea of cultivating "the gratitude attitude" is so popular among twelve-step programs. As Emmet Miller notes in "Gratitude: A Way of Life". "Gratitude has to do with feeling full, complete, adequate - we have everything we need and deserve; we approach the world with a sense of value." Addictions of all sorts come from a sense of deprivation, a feeling of lack that the user believes can be filled with a substance or activity, whether it's drugs, shopping, alcohol or food. Caught up in lack, we feed the need but never feel truly satisfied because our substance of choice can't fill the lack. Consequently we continue to want more and more.

As many people have pointed out, our consumer society owes its very existence to its ability to fuel a sense of never being satisfied. If we were happy about the way we looked, for example, why would we spend billions on cosmetics and plastic surgery? Or on expensive cars that supposedly convey a certain image that we don't have?

An attitude of gratitude gets us off the treadmill and out of the rat race. As we cultivate a true and deep appreciation for what we do have, we realize that our sense of lack is, for the most part, an illusion. No matter our material circumstances, the richness of our soul is ultimately what brings happiness, not another Martini, bigger breasts, or the latest video game. In the words of Lao Tzu, "He who knows enough is enough will always have enough."
From the book "Attitudes of Gratitude" by M.J.Ryan, pages 73 and 74.
M.J.Ryan is the executive editor of Conari Press, publisher of the best-selling "Rainbow Acts of Kindness" series, and the editor of "A Gratteful Heart" and The Fabric of the Future". She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter.

Here is the link to Part 1

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ml#post1986524

Everyone is welcome to join us here
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ABC'S OF A PURPOSE FILLED LIFE

A lways put God first in your life.

B e a true friend and you will have many friends.

C ount and thank God for your many blessings daily.

D iscipline yourself. Decide to make your life count.

E dify and encourage others consistently.

F ollow great leaders and then become one.



G ive liberally and joyfully of your time, talents
and means.

H ave an attitude of gratitude.

I nvert any negatives thrown your way. Turn them
into positives.

J ourney through life one step and one day at a time.

K eep written goals set ahead. Make specific plans
to accomplish them.

L ove and forgive everybody.



M aximize your strengths and minimize your
weaknesses.

N ever, never, never give up!

O pen the door wide when opportunity knocks.

P ractice patience. Promote peace.

Q uit bad habits by replacing them with good habits.

R ead God's Word and other profitable material
every chance you get.



S hare the Gospel whenever and wherever possible.

T ake time to appreciate everything and everyone
God has given to you.

U se your God given common sense.

V isualize your dreams and stretch to reach for them

W atch, listen and pray without ceasing.




X amine your motives on a regular basis.

Y ield to the Holy Spirit when He prompts you.

Z oom in on God's real purpose for your life.

~Author Unknown~

have an awesome day stay strong and think positive