You can’t handle the truth?

Living life on life’s terms. Simply put: Deal with what’s real. We can try very hard and spin our wheels in attempt to change the circumstances in front of us. I once heard someone say if you’re diagnosed with an illness “lean into it.” This made no sense to me for a long time. How does one “lean into” cancer? Taking a step back, the opposite tact of pushing against it adds up to a lot of work.  I can see how it can be exhausting to push back on reality. The problem is, it is unlikely that reality will go away or disappear.  The sooner we address what’s in front of us, the sooner we can make progress (whatever that looks like).  This is the case whether we are working with a minor event or a major tragedy. Tragedy usually stops us in our tracks, but rejection, failure, and other obstacles lend themselves to denial and avoidance.

Unattended truth festers and can grow into a major roadblock. Lots of times when people struggling with addiction come into contact with systems of authority, their first instinct can be to avoid mandates, not comply with requirements, or disagree with legal expectations. Acceptance is the path to successful next steps. Unfortunately, if other systems or organizations are involved in daily life, in order to progress, I encourage you to usurp control and follow the court’s directions.

You can handle the truth. Ask for help. You don’t have to do this alone.