Our inner dialogue can be shaped by the voices around us, especially the critical ones. I can latch on to a passing comment from a stranger and fester in it. Today I noticed that what I feed myself is what I’ll come to believe. If I dwell in shame or defensiveness, those beliefs grow stronger. But if I stay grounded in present moment within my little footprint on the earth, in addition to faith and community, I feed myself the gentle truth of who I am, worthy of compassion.

Belief grows from what we repeatedly give our attention to. That includes the spaces we create for peace, the people we surround ourselves with, and the quiet ways we talk to ourselves when no one else is watching. When I plug into recovery meetings, my higher power, and my podcast, I’m recharging my battery. As I heard this morning, it’s like plugging into a power source, and the longer I stay connected to what heals me, the longer I hold onto the faith that fuels me. We are what we eat, yes. But we also become what we feed our minds and spirits.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#FeedYourFaith #InnerHealing #RecoveryJourney #MindfulLiving #SpiritualGrowth #CompassionOverCriticism #BeliefInAction #EmotionalSobriety #HealingEnergy #RechargeYourSoul

Where does fierce determination come from? I always thought those people who never stop and drive themselves to triumph each day have unbelievable will power. But how is that possible? Will power is depleting, so they must depend on something inexhaustible. The two sources that came to mind are faith and desperation.

I heard someone say this morning that desperation is a gift, and in my recovery journey it has been exactly that. That feeling of confusion, fear, and hopelessness can fuel determination just in knowing the alternative tied to giving up. Desperation is a sense of full depletion, and yet it can fuel us remake ourselves. And honestly, desperation can trigger and fuel faith as well. My determination comes from consistently seeking faith, because faith doesn’t deplete when I seek it.

When I’m bored, I feel some emotions that mimic desperation. Boredom, I’ve determined, is not a sign that I need to find something to do. It’s a signal that something is depleted within me. The restlessness, frustration, and emotional exhaustion is an invitation to self-reflect and lean in to faith.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#FaithInRecovery #GiftOfDesperation #FierceDetermination #EmotionalSobriety #RecoveryJourney #WillpowerVsFaith #MentalHealthHealing #InnerStrength #SpiritualGrowth #BoredomAndBreakthrough

After my stroke, and on the day I medically retired, I sat crying on my front stoop feeling defeated. I thought, “What do I have left?” But then came the answer, “my voice.” I had lost my ability to speak during the stroke and regained it thanks to a clot-busting medication. Since then, I’ve felt this deep responsibility to use my voice, but not just with my podcast. In recovery, I also began expressing myself through painting, sewing, sketching, and upcycling. I love to transform old broken jewelry, scrap fabric, and other materials into something beautiful and meaningful. Creativity became another frequency of my voice, one that speaks of resilience.

Through recovery upcycling and creativity, I’m healing while also making the invisible parts of me visible through my art. I’m reclaiming pieces of myself that felt thrown away long ago. Whether it's sketching an eye with a tear, restoring a cracked bracelet with a little wood filler and gold paint, or creating a bowl sculpture out of shell necklaces, I’m expressing what words can’t always reach. Creativity has given me structure, peace, and inspiration. I don’t have to be an artist to become one.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#CreativeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #ArtAsTherapy #FindingMyVoice #UpcycledArt #HealingThroughArt #RecoveryJourney #EmotionalExpression #MakeSomethingBeautiful #VoiceThroughCreativity

Timing is everything, even in recovery. I’ve spent years in crisis mode, responding immediately, and maximizing productivity. But that urgency clashes with my healing. I’m learning to pause in stroke recovery, just like I do in sobriety. I’m an excitable person, and excitement triggers my vestibular symptoms. Instead of rushing to do whatever is right in front of me, I’m practicing awareness by checking in with how I feel before doing anything. It’s not easy, but it’s helping me avoid the crash that comes from doing too much, too fast.

Sitting at the pool today with no urgent plans reminded me that not everything needs to be done right away. My reflex to handle things immediately is deeply ingrained, but I’m learning to wait, to rest, and to trust that things will get done in their right time. Slowing down gives me space to recognize what’s actually important and what’s just a habit of urgency. Recovery has been a difficult lesson in learning when not to do and just be.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

For more information, visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#RecoveryJourney #TimingIsEverything #VestibularWarrior #SlowDownToHeal #MindfulRecovery #ChronicIllnessAwareness #EmotionalSobriety #RestIsProductive #ListenToYourBody #HealingTakesTime

Summer always gives me this feeling of freedom, like a whole season of celebration. But with that comes memories of drinking. Sitting in a kiddie pool with wine beside me, mowing the lawn with wine in a water bottle, going to the beach, and sitting at outdoor restaurants was all connected to alcohol. And even though I don’t crave it anymore, those memories still pop up when the season changes. The key difference today is that I don’t entertain the thought. I recognize the memory for what it is, and I let it go. I used to think that if I wanted something, I had to do it. Now I know that I don’t have to listen to my “wanter.”

In early sobriety, I got to learn how to do all my “firsts” without drinking. Each season had its own unique challenges: going to the pool, celebrating holidays, going to a baseball game, enjoying fall festivals, etc. I also got to learn how to feel for the first time without drinking. Learning how to laugh, cry, and be angry without it leading to a drink gave me new perspective. I was experiencing life on life’s terms. Today, I get to feel joy, grief, and excitement without fear or regret. Living sober means letting myself be in the moment without needing to alter the inside of me.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

For more information, visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#emotionalsobriety #seasonaltriggers #overelation #sobrietyjourney #soberliving #summersober #recoveryawareness #feeltoheal #alcoholfreelife #soberandfree

There’s a dangerous illusion that often precedes a relapse. It’s justification and deceptive confidence when we mistake abstinence for sobriety. Emotional sobriety goes far deeper than just staying dry. Showing up to sobriety meetings maintain my spiritual condition one day at a time. I’ve seen it play out both ways this week: one friend stopped going to meetings, while another returned humbled by a relapse because of the same decision. I’ve been disturbed for days after hearing from a friend of mine that she decided to disconnect from the fellowship.

The disease doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it lies in wait making us claim self-sufficiency or busyness. A relapse starts far ahead of picking up that drink. For me, staying sober means treating my illness daily with connection to my fellowship. I attend meetings every day because I’m broken, and I always want to remember who I am. It’s easy to over-function, filling an inner void with busyness or control, but humility is slowing down, remaining teachable, and anchoring myself in a community that keeps me right sized. Emotional sobriety is staying grounded in my truth.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

For more information, visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#emotionalsobriety #recoverycommunity #onedayatatime #sobrietyjourney #aaawareness #relapseprevention #spiritualmaintenance #dailyrecovery #stayingconnected #humilityinrecovery

Okay, so I’ve been listening to this book called Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe, and I decided I’m just going to try to believe in it. Like, let’s just go with it. It talks about how people who’ve passed on might send us little signs, totally random things to let us know they’re still around in some way. So, I picked a sign for someone I lost a long time ago, someone I never really grieved until I got sober. I just let my inhibitions go and decided to believe I was going to see a sign from him. I mean, what’s the harm in paying attention? And let me tell you, what happened over the next few days was unexpected. Comforting. Oddly specific. You can decide for yourself if it’s all just coincidence, but I’m totally going to believe he sent me not just one sign, but two.

I opened myself up to the possibility and stayed curious instead of skeptical, and the past few days have been so fun. I figured if that one worked, maybe I can try it on my Grammy and Grandpop. It was like I tuned into to another frequency. I don’t want to spoil the fun here, but if you’re even a little bit open to the idea that love might echo in ways we don’t totally understand, then I think you’ll enjoy this episode. I shared the whole story, including the specific signs I asked for and what showed up. It’s playful, it’s personal, and honestly, it was just a little bit magical. It’s more fun to believe than not to believe, that’s for sure!

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

For more information, visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#signsfromtheuniverse #spiritualawakening #griefrecovery #energyhealing #recoveryjourney #believeinsigns #healingafterloss #strokeandspirit #soberliving #faithoverfear

Lately, fear and faith keep coming up everywhere. In my meetings, in my conversations, even in the books and podcasts I’ve been listening to. It’s like everything around me is pointing toward toward expanding my awareness, leaning into it, and being willing to explore what it actually means for me. I’ve been opening my heart and mind more than ever. I’m listening to the Bible, reading the Life Recovery Bible, and tuning into my friend’s “Godcast.” These things are helping me build on this very thin foundation of faith I’ve started, and I want to keep going. I want to see what blooms from it.

I’ve realized that so much of my fear since the stroke is tied to not knowing what’s next. What if I get worse, or what if I get better and don’t know what to do? That fear has opened me up to a much bigger awareness of life, death, everything beyond my little world I’ve been living in up until my stroke. Instead of trying to control that awareness, I’m trying to let go. I’m learning that I won’t ever have all the answers to my fears. So, I need to find another way. And for me, that way is faith and spirituality. This willingness is what’s giving me peace finally.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

For more information, visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#FearAndFaith #RecoveryJourney #SpiritualAwakening #LetGoLetGod #OneDayAtATime #WillingnessInRecovery #FaithOverFear #EmotionalSobriety #StrokeRecovery #LivingWithPurpose