“Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God…”

– Life with Hope, first edition, page 55

Recovery is a matter of life and death. Every moment of every day, I make the choice to stay awake to the essential truth of my existence: I am a marijuana addict and cannot, under any circumstances, allow THC to enter my bloodstream. Every moment of every day, consciously or unconsciously I choose not to get high, not to layer my awareness with a drug, not to step out of recovery and into addiction. I make this decision, in my morning meditation, when I brush my teeth, when I sit down with coffee after porridge and fruit. I make this decision, when I start my car, back out of the driveway, and head off to work. Every time I refuse to allow my diseased thinking patterns to rule my actions, I choose life over death. Daily meditation helps me to do this; it helps me to develop the ability to be alert and let go of thoughts that could lead me to relapse.

Final thoughts: Daily meditation trains my mind to notice and nurture thoughts that deepen my recovery.

My mantra is: “Do not push away.
Have an open mind, an open heart;
Be open to everything;
Be awake and alert; not sleeping or dozing.
Be alive; not dead.”