Little Victories

Written by, Ernest F.

I remember someone saying to share at a meeting. Someone may be going through what you have been through or have known personally. Victories should be shared even if they are little; it provides others with a sense of looking forward, or hope!

Meditation has gotten better for me, I use it all the time, I had to be patient with the time it took for me to be better at it. It is sooo worth it to me. I was starting a relationship with a friend from an old job that I had. We spent some time getting to know one another, we became friends and did things together. When it became physical, knowing each other and being friends made it a lot better. I had not gone about relationships this way before. My emotions and feelings had me understand it was a victory. I had overcome habits and behaviors—that were not really bad, but also not good—besides Cannabis and cigarette smoking. Some C.B.T. helped me (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)—the idea and concept of it, and doing it.

I had heard in meetings that the one-second pause, after some recovery time, becomes a few more seconds in reacting and feeling to things and people. There are lists of thoughts and feelings about an action or word that took place that I can use. Am I not communicating? Did they not understand? They may have some problems. Maybe they are trying their best, and I don’t know that.

I cannot make a resentment for someone, put “it all” upon myself. There is much more, very much more to this. It may be important to know this. In the few seconds pause you can re-frame the thought and the emotional reaction with a conscious and logical effort to try not to be misunderstood or even a little harmful. That few seconds pause got longer than one second. Creativity and reading about how many religious beliefs and psychological concepts are the same or similar and align, the effort helped. The meditation (11th Step) creativity, new relationships and sound healthy beliefs and faiths that are very much similar are the little victories for me. Sharing “little victories” helps you!! Sharing how it was, how it is now, and what you are working towards, helps. EXPERIENCE, STRENGTH, AND HOPE!!

Ernest F.

Published in A New Leaf – July 2025

  • Shared Steps

    Written by, Cheryl B. You didn’t flinch.I noticed.Even when I unraveledlike thread pulled too far. You didn’t rush to fixor offer polished truths.You just stood—still,present. That mattered morethan you’ll ever know. I spilled stories,pixelated and flickering,sent across flat screensand silent hours. You received themwithout question,without recoil.Patient as a treein soft wind. I expected judgment—maybe even…

    Shared Steps
  • Summer Days

    Written by, Michael M. For me, sunny summer days were made for using. At the pool. Before work. After work. For BBQ’s. For hikes in the woods. My friend used to say that weed was a “guaranteed good time.” And for addicted me, summer was prime “party” time. My mind wants to reminisce about how…

    Summer Days
  • Recovery

    Written by, Jennifer W. Yesterday is goneToday has just begunTomorrow is not yet hereThe clouds are shiftingThe fog is liftingAnd everything is made clear We can’t go back or forwardWe only have todaySo let us bow our heads and prayThat we stay in the momentNow and foreverBecause We only have today One was never enoughI…

    Recovery
  • A New Leaf on Life

    Written by, Anonymous My journey into recovery starts as a pre-teen. I was a survivor of childhood cancer– a kidney cancer– and my parents were superstitious so they did not tell me about my cancer until my pediatrician shamed them about this when I turned 10, 6 years after my treatment. I did not know…

    A New Leaf on Life
  • The Sandbar

    Written by, Anonymous She woke up and found herself alone in a rowboat, stranded on a sandbar with only food and water by her side. She wasn’t quite sure how she ended up there. She thought once the tide came in, “I can make my way to shore. I don’t need help or assistance.” As…

    The Sandbar
  • Heard in a Meeting

    “We recover by the steps we take, not the meetings we make.” Published in A New Leaf – August 2025

    Heard in a Meeting