You don’t give up.
You don’t give in.
You are stronger than that.
You are worth more than that.

You stand up.
You raise your defenses
and you fight.

You fight, until the end -
because you are worthy of the outcome.

Always look on the bright side of life.
The darkness can never fight off the sun.
The light will always win.

I know what it is
  to pull dead flowers
  from a faintly beating heart.
I’ve felt the pain of
  a lung full of cobwebs
  barely leaving room to breathe.
But I also know what it is
  for Spring to come, bearing:
   a soft wind to clear out the old,
   a gentle rain to inspire new growth
   and a welcoming sun that beckons
    “Come, Rise. 
     Come, Live.”

Don’t drown in the darkness,
no matter how soothing it’s solace.
You are worthy of so much more
than that darkness can offer.
Look past the dreary fog
until you see a glimmer of hope.
Reach out, latch tight,
don’t you ever stop holding on.
You are worthy of so much more.
You are worthy of so much more.

You are here.
You are alive.
That is enough.

I am remembering:
it is okay to be in a place of struggle.
Struggle only means that I do not like where I am at and am fighting to make it better.

Struggle is not something to be ashamed of, it is something to be proud of.

Recovery is not easy,
it is never going to be easy.
It is a fight, day after day -
it will never stop.

However, with time, we get stronger;
our skin becomes a little tougher,
our swords a little sharper.

Armed and ready,
we go into battle.
We rise and we fight.
We fight and we win.

Relapse does not ruin your chances of ever getting better again.
Pick yourself up and start again.

PERSONAL NOTE:
Last night I broke and needed a coping mechanism -
I smoked a black and mild, and another one today.
While it was not a cigarette, nicotine is nicotine.
Two years and eight months lost,
but I will not go backwards…
I will move forward from here.

No matter what,
There is hope.
There is always hope.

Change your thoughts,
change your life.
It’s in your hands.

You can go anywhere you dream.
You can do anything you want.
You can be anyone you wish.

Right here, right now.
This is your moment,
you’re never going to get it back.
Go. Be. Do.

You are lovely,
even with your scars.

Happiness in recovery does not happen over night. You don’t just wake up one morning and decide that you are okay with what is happening. Things don’t work that way.

It is a process.
It takes work,
and it takes time.
But it is possible,
you will get there.
I promise.

The goal is not to wake up in the morning a winner.
You cannot cross the finish line without first running the race.
The goal is to wake up in the morning, put your feet on the floor and move forward.
With each step, you are on the way to becoming a winner.
The goal is to wake up in the morning and start to win.

There is nothing
you can’t come back from.
You will come back from this.
Just keep holding on.