The Right Thing and The Hard Part

The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” General Norman Schwarzkopf.

From 25 to 30 years of age I was pretty much lost in self and a haze of intoxication. By 25 I had had a good job, owned a home, drove a nice car, was married and a father. Though my daughter was stuck with me, the rest was gone or going. Now, I am supposedly a pretty smart fellow, if you believe IQ tests, (today I suspect scoring well on an IQ test merely demonstrates an ability to take IQ tests well) but looking at my life, I sure wasn’t acting like a “genius.” There were uncounted times when I knew what I was doing or about to do was a bad idea, but that didn’t stop me. Oh, and I was a time traveler when under the influence. I would start out in one place,blackout and then come too, sometimes the next day, in a different place,sometimes wearing different clothes, invariably broke, often in the company of new “best friends” whom I didn’t recognize. A few times this happened while driving, a truly disconcerting experience.

These time traveling episodes terrified me. I was certain I was going to wake up in jail cell somewhere with no recollection of how I got there or what I had done, or cuffed to a hospital bed, or just dead. But as much as I hated these episodes, I did it regularly. A smart man remarked years ago this type of behavior demonstrates a base form of insanity,and it sure felt like it.

I haven’t lived like that for a very long time. Curiously, to this day, that self-destructive voice that drove me all those years ago, cloaked in all manner of guises (fear), still whispers in my mind’s eye in an attempt to drag me back into that old life and ways of thinking. Such is the profound and deep-rooted nature of addiction thinking. The good news is today I have a Recovery tool kit to rely on so when it starts in,I stop and employ the tools that experience, both mine and others, have shown to be effective, a day at a time. 

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Miracles Of Recovery Blueprint

Miracles Of Recovery Blueprint

To address the increasing overdose death rate as well as the staggering relapse rate for individuals who have “completed” a professional program, I created Miracles Of Recovery. Having over 30 years’ experience down in the mud, the blood and the tears of addiction, both as someone in recovery and a treatment professional, the truth is:
RECOVERY IS NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL
There are many paths to freedom and successful recovery is as much an art as a science. The heartbreaking truth is we have the tools for success, it is the application where we are failing. This 13-page document details a new approach to recovery, building bridges across the spectrum of treatment, utilizing all the current tools and paths of recovery, creating sustainable new platforms for real world and cyber engagement with current recovery communities and treatment professionals as well as creating new sustainable communities for those currently struggling to connect. Creating real long-term affordable aftercare, as well as providing help and support for those who have loved ones in recovery or have tragically lost someone to addiction. While providing new and innovative income streams beyond Healthcare Providers and Government to make it all work. Please click on the link below.

Miracles Of Recovery Blueprint


© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved Miracles Of Recovery, Overdose Death, Alcoholism, Wayne Dyer, Drug Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, Heroin,Einstein, AA, Healing Path Recovery, Drug Rehab, #Drug Addiction, #Drug Rehab, #Healing Path Recovery, #Heroin, #Opioids

Courage Birthed

“Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace.” – Amelia Earhart.

 “We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage.” Alcoholics Anonymous. 

Society often honors those who demonstrate courage, sacrifice and selfless devotion with medals, commendations and public recognition, and this is as it should be. But every day, millions, if not billions, without recognition or fanfare quietly stand and courageously demonstrate over fear. How do I know? Without this courage, this world could not, would not survive.

Living on the Spiritual Basis requires us to stand in the light, exposed, often being targeted by those still in the grip of the darkness of the bondage of self. Courage is birthed and strength in Spirit realized when we have faith in something greater than ourselves, refusing to condemn those who condemn; selfless love quietly on display. This is the fabric which binds us together, holds the center and provides the foundation we all rely and stand on. So, just for today, be of good cheer, raise your head and be counted, for you have chosen to walk the path of a courageous warrior of peace.

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Ignoring the Signs

I am a hiker. I live in Southern California which is a wonderful place to live if you love to hike. Mountains, hills, and panoramic views abound. My “playground” is the Laguna Wilderness area. It surrounds the town of Laguna Beach with some 77 miles of hiking trails. Now, Laguna Beach is an artist colony and a beautiful little town. It runs along the coast climbing from the Pacific Ocean to the top of the steep hills that border it and is a destination not only for tourists but locales as well. Now, there are only three ways into Laguna, either by Pacific Coast Highway from the north and south or Laguna Canyon Road from the east.

One of the starting points for my hikes is Coastal Peak Park. The road that leads to it parallels a toll road that intersects Laguna Canyon Road. Now, the road that leads to this park is wide and well maintained, but dead ends at the park, was never connected to Laguna, and is clearly marked as having no outlet. Yet invariably about every five minutes or so a vehicle will come zooming down this road, the driver thinking they have found a “secret” back door into Laguna avoiding the inevitable traffic and/or tolls. They arrive at the turnaround, pause for a moment and then speed back the way they came. Maps clearly show this road ends, has no outlet, yet this continues unabated, something I have observed for years.

We have all done it at times in our lives. We saw the signs that we were headed in the wrong direction, but we sold ourselves on the idea that it would be OK, or worse, we really weren’t seeing what we were seeing, a form of willful blindness. Now, a driving mistake is one thing, the price a little extra burned fuel, some lost time. But what of the signs ignored in the areas of relationships, our children, careers and the like? We must learn to pay attention to the signs, and if heading in the wrong direction or toward a dead end, stop and alter course, to trust our intuition, the voice that speaks the truth, even when we don’t want to hear it. And if we are unsure of what direction to follow, we seek guidance, perhaps secular, perhaps spiritual, hopefully both. Oh, and even if on the wrong road, there is always something to learn and see, the road to Coastal Peak Park provides some wonderful views, both ways.

Miracles Of Recovery

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Happiness Is Birthed in Gratitude

“Grateful people are happy people and those who aren’t, aren’t.” I first heard that many years ago in a 12 Step fellowship meeting. When I wore a younger man’s clothes I believed, incorrectly, that I would be happy when I achieved some arbitrary milestone: get out of my childhood home, get a job, get a better job, get a steady girlfriend, get married, get some money in the bank, get a new car, etc.Looking back, a significant part of my early life was pretty much about”getting” with little giving. Now, I got all those things, and much more, but I wasn’t happy. Sure, there were happy times, moments hilarious, but I had a hole inside of me that was never truly filled, a longing in my heart for something I could not identify, and gratitude was not even on my radar.

At 30 years of age I was bankrupt in every area of my life and sought solace in blinding intoxication. Soon I found myself at a Spiritual jumping off point,and by Grace I found a fellowship of people who understood my dilemma and offered a way out. They taught me that to get, I had to give first. To be respected, first I had to show respect to others, especially those I didn’t agree with or like personally. Love, first I had to be loving toward others,and learn to appreciate, be grateful for the things in my life today as well as the things that had been removed, for all are lessons in living. As I began walking this path, following directions, the place I had tried to fill with”stuff” began to fill, with gratitude. I was told as well these new principles in living needed to be refreshed daily, and if I did, a day at a time, my life would grow and change in truly miraculous ways.

That was many years ago, and I can say today without equivocation, they were right.Has it been easy, no. Has it been worth it, oh God yes, and today I truly understand that happiness is birthed in gratitude.

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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The Truth About Fear

From Fear all forms of Spiritual disease and unease are birthed, and Fear is a bluffer. Look back on your life,think of all the things you were frightened of that turned out to be phantoms once walked through, and even if it was something difficult, it rarely was as bad as imagined. We are bombarded with fear daily. Most of the advertising we are subjected to is fear based. Hurry to this or that sale or you will be a loser and miss out on the buy of the year. If you have thinning hair, and want to be a real man, buy this product or have that procedure. Better buy gold or silver now, before it skyrockets in price and the economy collapses, the list is nearly endless. Add to this the daily drumbeat of negativity in news reports and it becomes abundantly clear that we live in a world where the one true Adversary, Fear, clearly holds sway.

And Fear is a liar. Do bad things happen? Of course. There will be: economic downturns, people we love and care about will die, wars and rumors of wars will abound, interpersonal conflicts (over, if we are honest, things usually quickly forgotten), floods, famines, droughts, and yes, balding all happen. Such is the world, but every day, billions of people do the right thing, help others,support the downtrodden, care for those sick and suffering and they are invisible, their stories rarely reported. People just like you.

Living On The Spiritual Basis we learn to look beyond the headlines, the ads and people who feed our fears.There are many unassailable truths, and this is one: no one gets out alive. Tobe free, we must hold in our heart the truth about death and not let our fear of it dominate us. This temporary fleshy conveyance will one day return from whence it came, we however will continue, for we are in truth Spiritual beings experiencing the human condition, not human beings searching for the Miraculous; for our True Self, the I Am, is part and parcel of the Great Eternal Creative Life Force at the heart of all creation, currently traveling in this flesh, but is not constrained or defined by it any more than we derive any real significance from the type of car we drive.

So take reasonable precautions in life for this is only rational, plan for rainy days for the rain comes for all but we must never lose sight of our true eternal nature for in so doing, we triumph over the fear driven life.

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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Growth Requires Taking Risks

Living on the Spiritual Basis is often about stepping out in faith and taking risks. Leaving the job or career where we are “comfortable” but uninspired or just plain bored. Asking someone out on a date, risking rejection. Agreeing to go on a date, risking rejection. Leaving a relationship that is “comfortable” when we know it is time to go in our heart of hearts. Giving the keys to the car for the first time to that newly minted teenage driver. There are many more, some, like trying a new restaurant or hair color, having decidedly less lasting impact than some of the above, but taking risks is part of life. Without taking risks,nothing changes, growth is stifled. Einstein went against the orthodoxy of the time and changed the world of physics forever. Edison and Bell failed more times than they succeeded, yet they are hailed as two of the greatest genius inventors of all time. They all shared one thing in common: they stepped out in faith,risked, believing there existed a new way or approach, a different way of looking at things, leading to material and intellectual progress, in fact,changing the world forever.

We must stay open to the winds of change in our lives. There is a voice in all of us, the voice of the Miraculous, that sings to us, encourages us, fuels our dreams and aspirations. Most unfortunately will opt for the safe, the comfortable, and fail to heed its call, choosing to watch the play rather than participate in it. So, just for today, take a risk, order something different from the menu or try a new restaurant, take the longer scenic route home, sing out loud in the car or dance around the house, unmindful of who may be watching. When we do these small things daily, we begin to demonstrate over fear, and once released from the bondage of fear our lives improve in ways undreamed of, our thinking expands with new insights and who knows, you just may change the world.

Miracles Of Recovery 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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A Touchstone Of Growth: Failure

Failure is inevitable. Everyone fails. Often. Consider the observations of a few highly successful people about the importance of failure in our growth: “Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be” – John Wooden, “We are all failures – at least the best of us are.” – J.M. Barrie, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” – Henry Ford, “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” – C.S. Lewis, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill, and “Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater success. I’ve met people who don’t want to try for fear of failing.” – J.K. Rowling

A spiritual advisor said to me long ago “Everyone takes a turn in the barrel.” When I look back on my life through the new pair of glasses living on the Spiritual Basis has provided, the times when I struggled the most were those when I took failure personally and lost sight of the truth, that in my life, my failures have invariably led me to my greatest awakenings, and my self-inflicted pain was the result of losing focus on this truth: behind every dark cloud the sun still shines and without the rain there would be no flowers.

Miracles Of Recovery

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

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The Conquering Horse

The Conquering Horse

The fourth horse is the White Horse, the Conquering Horse. Our words have power. Too heal, to harm, to start a conflict or stop one, to spread love or condemn. Our words and actions mark us and lay the foundation for our future, a future of either freedom or bondage. Living on the Spiritual Basis we now know we can no longer hide behind generalities. When we marginalize or condemn anyone, for any reason, we pay the price. To ride the White Horse to freedom from Fear requires more courage than we are capable of on our own, but with the Miraculous all things are possible. So we abandon ourselves to God, asking Him to remove the lingering prejudices, sacred cows and fears holding us back, grabbing the mane of the Conquering Horse as it speeds by, jumping on, holding on with all our might. If our fears try to rein him in or guide him in any way he will toss us off for His vision is clear, His sights set, His destination no less than the heart of God, and nothing will stop or alter His course, for it is none other than God himself who sent him to us and He will provide the abiding strength and trust necessary for us, though trembling, to hold on and ride to freedom.

Take heart, we have all ridden the White Horse and been tossed off, for Fear is a persistent and convincing adversary. When your White Horse returns, and he always will for he exists only to carry you to freedom, jump back on and hold on with all the conviction at your disposal at this time and if we again find ourselves standing by the side of the road of Freedom from the Bondage of Self, we say a prayer of thanks for the distance travelled to date and rejoice while dusting ourselves off for the sound we hear, is the sound of approaching hoof beats.

Miracles Of Recovery

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

Riding The Black Horse

Riding The Black Horse

The Black Horse represents a complete reliance on our “human” intelligence. Consider how many worships at the altar of intellect. To be fair, they don’t see it as worship, but is there really a whit of difference in commitment or passion between the minister preaching from the pulpit or the self-assured professor, scientist or politician speaking with fevered conviction, condemning anyone who disagrees with them? Consider the science textbooks of just the last 40 years, regardless of discipline, that have had to be rewritten due to new discoveries, old theories making way for new. History is very illustrative on this point, for every generation believes they have all the answers. To wit:

A few hundred years ago if you argued the Earth was not the center of the universe as Galileo did, you could be jailed, even put to death. In the late 1800’s most in the scientific community believed man would never fly, for if he were meant to fly, he would have wings, so the “forces” of flight by any means would “naturally” prove fatal they believed. At the turn of the last century the head of the US Patent Office suggested it be closed, since everything worthwhile and of importance had been invented. As late as the 1950’s many of the most prominent scientific minds believed man would never survive a trip into space since they were certain passing through the Van Allen radiation belt was not survivable. Since the 1970’s everything science thought it knew about dinosaurs has been turned on its head, while revelations in Quantum Mechanics in the last thirty years has shaken physics, the basic laws of everything, at its foundation generating more questions than answers.

Is it not the height of hubris to think that “now” (or more accurately “this time”) we have all the answers in any area of study or science, let alone Spiritually? We ride the Black Horse when we close our minds to growth and greater inspiration and begin collecting and carefully herding sacred cows, shutting ourselves off from the fresh winds that drive our higher selves, stagnation in demonstration, dismissing any contrary thought or belief out of hand because just like Galileo‘s jailers, the issue, the science is settled and there is nothing left to learn or discover.

Miracles Of Recovery

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved