My Recovery, My Toolbox for Wellness

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A friend recently asked me two questions which have gotten me thinking: #1 Who are you? and #2 What do you want out of life?”

WOW! Can you actually answer those questions? I thought about them most of the night and found it hard to sleep wondering if I knew the answers to those questions – and they were about ME!

So I got out of bed, grabbed my laptop, and began to type. I started out with those two questions as “titles” if you will, and then put a bunch of spaces in between them to enter in the information that flew out of my brain. I should know this stuff! I live my life everyday and no one else does it for me, so why was this so hard to do? After I put the spaces in between the two questions, I went back to trying to get some sleep. But it hankered in my mind so I got back up, grabbed the laptop yet again, and started writing.

Who Am I? Here are just a few things I came up with:
  • I am Mary Beth Evans. I am the baby of the family.
  • I am a wonderful mother of four children.
  • I am an advocate for my own needs.
  • I am appreciative of small things in life because all small things equal one big thing.
  • I am overbearing when it comes to getting something done.
  • I am lazy when I want to be after a long day or even if I’m just emotionally drained. For example, if I’ve had a horrible day, I still come home and make sure the kids are taken care of with dinner, homework and baths, but I might just relax on the couch after and let the dishes go for the night.
  • I am SUPER afraid to ask for help but yet give my help out freely.

What Do You Want Out Of Life? I had a hard time with this question. I thought it was going to be a task I could never do, but then I just started…
  • EDUCATION: To go back to college and finish my bachelor’s degree in social work, continue on for my masters degree, and eventually even perhaps become a psychiatrist that has a diagnosis and would be willing to listen, learn and above all, HELP those like myself.

It didn’t seem like much after I looked at it and I knew I wanted WAY more out of life, but I could only think of headings. So I just put down the following knowing that this is MY list and I can add to it at any time:
  • HOUSING
  • OCCUPATION
  • NECESSITIES
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • DEBT CONTROL

Your list doesn’t have to include the things mine does. It might be totally different. But my list continues to grow and I keep adding details to it. I’m sharing this because I thought this might be a great way to help folks continue to add to their own toolbox for wellness. I have taken my list, decided that I will revisit it every week when I revisit my WRAP plan, and use it as my goals in life. I’m going to keep this list, but I think I will get a brightly colored marker and start knocking some of them off that I do accomplish.

To me this is like a Person-Centered Plan. It’s my goals in life. It’s also my Recovery. It’s non-linear and it’s a process. I don’t have to go down the list and do everything in the order I have it. It’s a forever changing, living, breathing document. Have fun with this but be realistic that things DO change. Changes occur as we grow. Change can be very good.