Gather your chairs in a circle – Episode 116
A couple of weeks ago, at church, we honored our graduating high school seniors. The sermon that day was in the form of advice to those setting out into adult life. What caught my ear was the second point, to “gather your chairs into a circle.” What does this mean, and how does it relate to recovery? We are in community when we “gather our chairs into a circle.” We sometimes “turn our chairs away” and isolate ourselves, especially when life is hard. I did this. At most of my meetings we sit in circles or around a table, facing each other. In our circle we are not alone. In our circles we discover shared experience and share strength and hope. So come into the circle, or find some others and gather your chairs into a new circle. I also talked a bit about stress and how it has affected me recently. I have been putting my very busy work ahead of "the rest" of my life. When I come home, I just want to "veg". I feel overwhelmed by all the things I have to do, and so I shut down and don't start any of them, because it's "hopeless" to think I could ever do them all. Which, of course, leads to guilt over not having done them. How am I working my way out? First and foremost, recognizing the problem. Admitting it, asking for help. "Doing the next right thing." Shedding some responsibilities, and deciding what is most important, and putting that first.