Poise
Poise
The definition of Poise is: Freedom from affectation or embarrassment; composure or dignity of manner; a state of being balanced or stable. With that definition in mind, I felt impression’d to further explore the importance poise plays in each and every one of our lives.
As we continue to progress through our addiction we have to have a sense of poise about us. We are going to run into troubling times; times where we feel like the world is caving in on us. You see, what happens to we who struggle with addiction is that through those years of being clouded we did nothing more than just push aside all of our problems, hoping - and almost believing that those problems would just disappear and dissipate. Well as you know, that’s not the case at all. Those so called problems and troubles that we pushed aside for so long, all come back magnified; and now that we are clear, it’s almost as if we are to immature mentally to handle them.And so as we press forward, continuing on in exploring what clarity has to offer, we often times get frustrated with life’s ups and downs which then feeds our addictive mind, causing a relapse cycle to occur because we are unsure of how to handle these ups and downs through a clear lens.This is the point in our recovery where Poise needs to play a role in our life. The daily personal WAR that takes place in our mind needs to be looked upon, and even acted upon with Poise. We need to fight this WAR confidently, free from affectation or embarrassment. We need to be stable and balanced; we can’t let our personalities get away from us by getting too high or too low in our thinking. We have to be in a state of equilibrium where we put one foot in front of the other, knowing that if we endure long enough, that we will once again remember how to deal with life’s ups and downs through a clear lens.So many people think addiction to be a quick fix, and I’m here to tell you that it’s not. It’s not a quick fix by any means. Overcoming addiction is a process; and through this process a poised character is needed. If we aren’t poised in the way that we carry ourselves, we will become casualties in this WAR. We will continue to relapse, and these worldly substances will beat us down until we have nothing left. Be confident, and not complacent in your effort; be poised. Realize that life isn’t always going to flow the way that you may want it to, and learn be okay with that; be poised. Learn to be bored; learn to work; learn to be happy even when your not; learn to direct your thinking more towards others, and less towards yourself; learn to be poised when adversity strikes, and be graceful in doing so.Being poised in the way that we carry ourselves through our struggles and in times of adversity is the magical key that opens the door to change. It's by this, that we learn to roll with the punches, never allowing our selves to fold when times get tough. Addiction is a challenging thing to over come, and having a poised nature is a must if we want to win the WAR. We have to be willing to take a low level job, and do that job clear and to the best of our ability. We have to work on our communication skills, where we work on speaking confidently, and even patiently.People who remain poised in times of adversity rely on faith in the Invisible Hand. They have found power through this, in which faith in the unseen has come to play an important role in their life. They have tested this faith at a high level, therefore increasing their testimony concerning spiritual matters; however, faith and help from the invisible hand can only come to those who actively seek Him; and also by living a life in harmony with the principles thereof.Once our life is in harmony, our faith tends to increase, and so does our poised character. Now when times get tough financially, we ask for help through fervent prayer, believing that we will receive this help since we have diligently worked to the best of our ability in helping improve our own situation; and after we have done all that we can possibly do, we then turn the rest over to the guidance of the invisible hand, hoping and having faith that He will meet us half way.We look for impressions and ideas to flow into our mind; and we look at these ideas as gifts, where we then act on these ideas because failure to act would not be wise, in that these impressions and ideas are in fact the answers to our ongoing prayers. When we do act on such guidance, opportunities unfold, and a greater understanding of our path becomes known. We now see other opportunities to provide, and a new way in doing so. The monthly financial struggle changes because our mind is now more open, and apt to a greater understanding of how to cover all of our financial obligations; where before, we only saw one way, where now, we see multiple ways. This poise in character develops more fully as we increase in learning, which then we become composed in all things. When things don't go exactly as we wish, it doesn't faze us; we just continue to roll, having forward momentum, knowing that all will be well if we continue on in a righteous path. This path that I speak of is the path of clarity that leads to a humble, and even low key demeanor where no amount of boredom, downtime, adversity, or any such circumstance can cause us to dwindle in our belief system; the belief system that is made up of our core values, which never waver because of the strong foundation we have since created.On and on we go developing our talents, and increasing our appreciation for the gift of Poise; and realizing that with out it- our composure is to be lost, therefore hindering our progress as we continue on in our search for stability and happiness; for without poise we are lost in this WAR; for with poise we know something that others don't, so no matter what kind of adversity may strike in our lives, all is well in our minds because we are men and women of understanding, and no single occurrence can strip us of our balance.-Hawk