Like all recovery from addictive behavior, there is risk involved. The addictive behaviors that we use to medicate our feelings become our friends and comfort. In the realm of human interactions, we know that we might get hurt; people disappoint and sometimes betray us. Our addiction to certain beliefs, behaviors and thoughts and dynamics offer us some security, stability even. Learning to recognize and take responsibility for the "payoffs" in our old ways takes courage. The risk of stepping into the unknown of possibility is real. Here are some tips for embracing the risk with ease:

1) Know that new behaviors are risky. Be with your fear and embrace it with gentleness. Let yourself ease into the new ways slowly and experience the fear as part of the process. Nothing is wrong and everything is right!

2) Prepare yourself with kindness and understanding. When we choose ourselves and new possibilities, we may be confronted with others' resistance. Those around us get used to our smallness, our lack thinking and behaving and it may be threatening when we choose to leave the predictable patterns. Choose yourself and the possibilities that await you as you release the old and embrace the new. Mature support circles will assist with offering a place to go where you belong and find comfort.

3) Take responsibility for your old thinking and behaving. What is the payoff to seeing yourself as a victim, or care-taking others, or pleasing those around you? What is the payoff to seeing yourself as a victim to financial circumstances? What is really at risk for your to choose yourself and allow yourself to dream big? Being addicted to certain ways of thinking and behaving becomes comfortable and maturely seeing our part in this gives freedom and choice.

4) Remember that you are not alone. Nurture your relationship with a Higher Power. We don't ever have to do it alone and this vital spiritual connection gives us places to surrender our fear and shame. In this spiritual connection, we are given the courage to embrace the risk that comes with growing and changing and welcome the joy that follows.

Blessings on your journey,

Sally