Coming on One Year

[boris]

Next week will be one year since I made the decision to change my life. It hasn't been a straight line to success. I've stumbled, I've gotten back up and kept climbing.

I think I've learned a lot about myself and what it means to find and keep personal integrity, and how it feels to experience the swiftness in which one can lose it.

Accepting that I am a work in progress, and that I don't need to wait until I finish the work to love myself, has been a revelation to me. I may hate my past behavior and what I had done to my life and family, but God sees something worth saving in each and every one of us. Otherwise none of us would be here right now. Coming to know that, and more importantly, to believe that, is the greatest lesson I've learned.

I may never be completely free from my weaknesses, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't hold myself to that higher standard. I'd rather live my life aiming high and missing sometimes, than aiming low and hitting the mark. I've learned that the mark may change as we go through life, hopefully always higher and higher. However, sometimes we find ourselves completely missing the target, and have to adjust it and be content with smaller victories, as we regain our skills of perception, and rebuild our resistance to failure.

I wish my one year anniversary was spotless. It isn't. But it marks the day I decided to live my life with integrity, and restore the dignity and self respect that I had lost. It marks the day I realized I deserved better.

I thank all of you at TTF for seeing the value of each hurting, struggling soul who comes here in need of a community that truly believes we are all worth it.

Be well,
Boris

[JenMac]

Hey Boris!
Congratulations on your one year anniversary! I am so glad you have chosen to live your life with integrity and I like how you have described it here. I like that you are holding yourself to a higher standard, I believe that is entirely possible and in fact crucial, if we are to have strong, moral men in our midst.
I am so glad that you have come to this good place, a place where you have learned about yourself and have learned to love yourself through all of this. You are so right in needing to keep this in the forefront and to readjust as needed to keep on a good path. Good for you! You should be proud of yourself!
So nice to hear from your Boris! It seems that we have been here about the same length of time but have seldom crossed paths. I am encouraged by your presence. Your willingness to be here for your own recovery is a telling thing!
Keep going strong Boris!
Your honesty and committment is inspiring to others!
All the best!
Jenn

[Rockinastorm]

Next week will be one year since I made the decision to change my life. It hasn't been a straight line to success. I've stumbled, I've gotten back up and kept climbing.

I think I've learned a lot about myself and what it means to find and keep personal integrity, and how it feels to experience the swiftness in which one can lose it.

Accepting that I am a work in progress, and that I don't need to wait until I finish the work to love myself, has been a revelation to me. I may hate my past behavior and what I had done to my life and family, but God sees something worth saving in each and every one of us. Otherwise none of us would be here right now. Coming to know that, and more importantly, to believe that, is the greatest lesson I've learned.

I may never be completely free from my weaknesses, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't hold myself to that higher standard. I'd rather live my life aiming high and missing sometimes, than aiming low and hitting the mark. I've learned that the mark may change as we go through life, hopefully always higher and higher. However, sometimes we find ourselves completely missing the target, and have to adjust it and be content with smaller victories, as we regain our skills of perception, and rebuild our resistance to failure.

I wish my one year anniversary was spotless. It isn't. But it marks the day I decided to live my life with integrity, and restore the dignity and self respect that I had lost. It marks the day I realized I deserved better.

I thank all of you at TTF for seeing the value of each hurting, struggling soul who comes here in need of a community that truly believes we are all worth it.

Be well,
Boris

Thank you for giving me hope.