I haven't posted much lately, mainly because I've had a lot of inner growth going on that I couldn't really explain. I don't think I can really explain it well now, but I do have some outer manifestations of that growth that I can talk about with reasonable clarity. I believe that one of the main causes of this growth spurt, as it were, is that 57 days ago I started practicing mindfulness meditation through an app called "Waking Up" by Sam Harris. I'll be talking a little more about this in another post; for now, it's only important to know that this practice has been really helpful for me in fulfilling my desire to learn how to live from the inside out - to live my life from that Divine space within, rather than reacting to events and people around me. Of course, I'm still very much a beginner, but I have a lot of hope because this is the first healthy practice (besides abstaining from mind-altering substances) that I've been able to commit to and practice on a daily basis. I am amazed, and I call it a miracle.
The first transition I'd like to write about is vocational, and it actually physically began happening back in May, when I enrolled in and completed a two-week course in Peer Support in order to become certified in Arizona to practice my profession as a Peer Support Specialist. I was a Certified Peer Specialist in Wisconsin for a couple of years until my relapse in 2018. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that in this moment there is nothing I desire more to do vocationally than to support others in recovery from Substance Use Disorder and other mental health disorders. Last Friday I was offered a full-time position at West Yavapai Guidance Clinic, and I will start working there July 12th (a day before my natal birthday and 5 days before my one-year sobriety anniversary).
Today I turned in my letter of resignation to my store director where I'm currently employed. I don't like the connotations that go with 'resigning' or 'quitting', so I prefer to think of it as 'moving on', which it is. In that letter, I expressed my gratitude, and let him know that the job did much to heal my past and strengthen my future. That is not an understatement by any means. In one of my previous posts, I think I mentioned that the last time I was employed at a grocery store (in the 90's), I screwed the store over royally and screwed myself over by almost dying and suffering the consequences of going to prison. That particular incident, which is too long and gory to go into in detail, happened to be the last felony for which I was ever convicted (theft of greater than $25000). When I got the job at this grocery store, I knew it was a miracle, and I knew that I was being given an opportunity to at least partially make things right. If I can make it another 3 weeks, which I probably can, I will have made it through a job start to finish where I didn't steal anything from my employer, I did not miss a day of work, I was not written up for excessive tardies, and I made it from start to finish without taking a drink. That in itself is commendable, but really not uncommon for a person in recovery - my understanding is that we usually do perform well as sort of an overcompensation to low self-worth.
By the way, my current employer knows nothing of my past grocery history - it's too far gone (time does heal some wounds, which we'll see again in next post). So the work I did on myself while I was working there was known only to me and a couple individuals who are bound by confidentiality and HIPPA and such. This means that I was able to set standards for myself and live up to those standards by my own volition every time I went to work. So in answer to a question one might encounter in a job interview about what I accomplished at my previous job, I could say, "I didn't commit any gross misconduct and I was accountable only to myself." Uhm, that's kind of what normal people do, isn't it? Yes, yes it is - but for someone like me who has taken most of the wonderful opportunities in life I've been given and flushed them right down the shitter, it's nothing short of a miracle that I could do it and do it for myself.
When I started this job, I started at minimum wage, which was way ok with me, because I was happy just to be working and I was elated that I was working in grocery. I received a substantial raise a few months ago, and I'm grateful that management showed me they appreciate me and my efforts. However, because I was able to break the cycle of depression that has dogged my entire life, I was able to give myself raises in self-esteem every day that I showed up and applied the work ethic that I was taught a decade ago - suit up, show up, do the best I can, do more than what I'm asked, don't complain, be a team player, and make helpful suggestions if needed. That's it. I didn't try to make anybody like me. I didn't try to enhance my paycheck by taking what wasn't mine. And the results were I developed friendships at work, I earned respect, and I received an unexpected and generous raise. And most of all, I began to like and respect the person who was showing up for work every day. It didn't matter if I was helping customers, retrieving carts, stocking shelves, cleaning toilets, or doing whatever - I was living from my inner guidance, and it worked - every single day. (There were days that were difficult for me, and these were caused by my own mind, which is still sort of set to looking at what's wrong rather than what's right. It's getting better, and I was able to keep it in my head and not allow it to affect my behavior).
I know from my own experience and the experience of others that if I am to remain in recovery, I must consistently grow and move forward. Those of us who have become complacent for any length of time usually experience relapse - either emotional relapse or full-blown using substances relapse. So I knew this job was temporary for me. Being of service to others and other aspects of my current job are not a challenge to me. My challenge was showing up as the person I wanted to be on a consistent basis. I've done that, and now it's time to move on to something more challenging - using my experience, strength, hope, and knowledge to support others in building a recovery they can live with. It's exciting and scary all at the same time, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy.
One final note for this post: I've been working in the dairy department at my store for the past few months. About a month ago, the dairy manager got fired for gross misconduct. I am (somewhat to my chagrin, because I don't like training people) training the new dairy manager. Why didn't I take the position? It would have given me great security until I decided to retire. Well, number one, for the reasons stated above - it's not enough of a challenge. But, as I mentioned, I'm learning to live life from the inside out - to live from that Divine spark that is within me (and you too!). In our world, security is a fleeting thing - anything can happen at anytime. I am learning to no longer look to the world and its people and things for security; I am learning that the security I seek is already within me, and I am learning each day to uncover and utilize the resources within. I hope I can empower and encourage others to do the same thing.
Namasté,
Ken
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