2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

continued . . .
I find strength in
o    telling my story
o    listening to other’s stories
o    loving who I am and who I want to be
o    taking full responsibility
o    watching myself / correcting slip ups/new addiction habits
o    choosing to act in the present rather than react using old beliefs
o    inserting my gentle truth in the face of the pervasive sarcasm and bravado
o    building my core strength to be ever more vulnerable and trusting and forgiving (to not be confused with shirking responsibility)
o    focusing on making deep genuine connections with myself and others
o    creating and anticipating little in the moment magic and miracles

Taking  steps with you,

B in Portland

posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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pt 1 of 2 As someone who was addicted to sex fantasy between age 8 to 47, which has adversely affected my friend, family and career lives – this is my perspective on ‘addiction’ and how to life addiction free:

By and large we are born whole, open to love and loving, we are trusting and understand self expression - not repression. When pains enter our lives – stabs of sexism, classism, chronic physical pain, bullying, materialism, etc - we learn, as relatively powerless children, to suppress the natural outrage they first feel.

To sooth the pain we find our minds at times unable to be present, trusting and giving  - but replying tapes that are focused on blame (of ourselves and/or others), shame. So much of our cultural and its institutions accept and support these cruel patterns.
My definition of addiction is: any thinking, feeling and/or behavior that 1) we cannot control and 2) hurts others and/or ourselves.

posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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