Come back to your "why"
Prompts + takeaways from this week's meeting
Hi everyone. Like so many people, I’m disgusted by the atrocities happening in Minneapolis and across the U.S. right now.
Here’s a Reddit thread with ways to help. I definitely felt overwhelmed by a list this long, but reading the comments reminded me that the important thing is to just pick something and take action - whatever feels most doable for you or speaks to you most. As someone in the thread says, “This is an ongoing crisis that needs to be addressed from all angles; any level of support is helpful because they ultimately all work toward the same goal.”
Sending love to you all <3
— Steph
If you’re new, check out our intro to Steady Sunday here.
💻 This Week’s Meetings
Sunday, 1/25 — 10-11 a.m. PT / 1-2 p.m. ET
Tuesday, 1/27 — 5:30-6:30 p.m. PT / 8:30-9:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, 1/29 — 5:30-6:30 p.m. PT / 8:30-9:30 p.m. ET
Meeting links are sent in our Discord chat:
✨ Meeting Notes
This week we gathered for our ‘What’s Your Why?’ workshop and spent some time reflecting on what keeps us choosing recovery day after day. Here are a few takeaways from our convo:
Sobriety gives us freedom. We’re no longer controlled or held back by substances. Instead, we get to feel hopeful and excited about the future because it’s in our own hands now.
We’re given the gift of truly getting to know ourselves. Sobriety invites us to understand our patterns, values, and what helps us feel most like ourselves. Each sober day is a day spent coming back home to ourselves.
There is so much beauty and grace in stability. We stop chasing a high that never truly satisfies and begin finding fulfillment from within. Our sober selves are more than enough. “Sobriety delivers what addiction promises.”
“Parts work” offers a reminder that we are more than any one feeling, thought, or reaction. Instead of fully owning traits like anxiety, self-doubt, or fear as who we are, it invites us to see them as parts of us that show up at certain times (often trying to protect us).
Feeling left out (or any difficult emotion) if often outside of our control. We don’t need to shame ourselves for overthinking or feeling stuck in these emotions. As Z.S. said, sometimes the simplest thing that helps is naming the feeling, whether to yourself or a trusted friend, instead of pretending you’re okay or trying to act like it doesn’t matter. In those moments, we can offer ourselves a bit more compassion, accept that this is how we feel right now, and observe the emotion without letting it take over <3
🏆 Win of the Week
My turn to brag about Steph! She’s now been in recovery for longer than the time she spent in active substance abuse! Okay goals!! So proud of you💛 -Annie
✍️ Journal Prompt
ICYMI: Here are the questions we reflected on and discussed in our recent What’s Your Why? Workshop:
What did substance use truly cost you?
What moments made you question your relationship with alcohol/drugs?
How does sobriety feel for you today?
Why do you choose sobriety right now?
Who are you becoming if you stay sober?
Finish this sentence: “When I forget my ‘why’, I want to remember…”
Always cheering you on,
-Steph & Annie
P.S. Have ideas for anything you’d like to see in this newsletter? Comment on this post or reply to this email!