Gratitude

Sleep

by Bill Brenner November 26, 2010 Gratitude

Thanks to a strict food plan I follow to keep the binge-eating disorder in its box, I’m not walking around a bloated mess like I used to. Instead, I gorged on something else yesterday. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axzRdFOYpqg&fs=1&hl=en_US] I napped in the morning, I napped in the afternoon and I have no regrets. I’ve always had an interesting relationship with sleep. Back when I was slowly destroying myself, I would fall asleep at all the wrong…  [Read More]

Thank You

by Bill Brenner November 24, 2010 Gratitude

I still go through the day like a punk sometimes. I get wrapped up in my own selfish impulses and forget everyone else around me. I’m excellent at making it all about me. But I know the truth. I have a beautiful life despite myself. And I have many to thank. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_OrWLGPQbg&fs=1&hl=en_US] I’m thankful to God for taking a chance on a rat like me and for sending me the grace to help…  [Read More]

Mr. Danny

by Bill Brenner November 23, 2010 Gratitude

Just got the sad news that the mom of my friend Danny Goodwin passed away yesterday. No doubt he could use some bucking up right now, so here’s my contribution… Mood music: “Creep” by Korn I periodically write about friends who have helped me heal and deal over the years and Danny is one of them. It didn’t seem that way at first, because when we first met I was busy trying to be someone…  [Read More]

Facebook Follow Friday: Penny

by Bill Brenner November 19, 2010 Gratitude

Welcome to week four of this new tradition of mine: Giving the nod to some of my Facebook friends for giving my spirits a lift and teaching me new things. A reminder on what this is about: There’s a thing we do on Twitter called Follow Friday, where we list people we follow and suggest others do the same. I figured Facebook should have something similar, so here it is. There’s a lot of crap on Facebook….  [Read More]

Facebook Follow Friday: Nov. 12

by Bill Brenner November 12, 2010 Gratitude

Welcome to week three of this new tradition of mine: Giving the nod to some of my Facebook friends for giving my spirits a lift and teaching me new things. A reminder on what this is about: There’s a thing we do on Twitter called Follow Friday, where we list people we follow and suggest others do the same. I figured Facebook should have something similar, so here it is. Let’s face it: There’s a lot…  [Read More]

Little Things That Count

by Bill Brenner November 7, 2010 Gratitude

After a moody Friday, things are looking up. It’s kind of a big deal because usually one day of feeling low was never enough. It always had to be several days of feeling low. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spAs1b6x_qQ&fs=1&hl=en_US] This time of year is usually tricky. As the days get shorter and the weather gets gray, it gets to me. It’s one of the many byproducts of having OCD, and it has often led to vicious spikes…  [Read More]

Facebook Follow Friday, 11-5-10

by Bill Brenner November 4, 2010 Gratitude

I know it’s only Thursday, but since I put a lot of time into the Twitter Follow Friday thing, I wanted to take care of this first and keep my new tradition on track. Here are some folks I follow on Facebook and why… Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukbbPJirTaE&fs=1&hl=en_US] Greg Walsh and Harry Zarkades: Harry I only recently connected with, but I’ve seen him play his bass and sing many times over the years. Greg has been…  [Read More]

Facebook Follow Friday

by Bill Brenner October 29, 2010 Communication Skills

There’s a thing we do on Twitter called Follow Friday, where we list people we follow and suggest others do the same. I’m starting a new tradition: Facebook Follow Friday. Here’s why: Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TksqEIl1uxU&fs=1&hl=en_US] Facebook has become a place where people spill out their state of mind like blood. Sometimes, it’s beautiful to see and I get something from it. Other times I just roll my eyes. I use it as a place to…  [Read More]

The Cab Driver

by Bill Brenner October 28, 2010 Gratitude

I used to have this dumb, ego-driven idea that I was better than people who did things for work that were “beneath me.” Here’s how I learned to stop being stupid. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG1FlsgLQQY&fs=1&hl=en_US] The lesson came from an obvious place that wasn’t so obvious once upon a time: God. I expected a lightening flash or something like that, not realizing God works through other people instead. I’ve needed these graces, because as a thick-skulled…  [Read More]

Homeless Men, Inc.

by Bill Brenner October 27, 2010 Gratitude

Observation: There are a lot of homeless people on the streets of Toronto. It’s a lot like San Francisco, except these guys have a stunning cleverness about them. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsCtUj9K_tw&fs=1&hl=en_US] You’re asking what this has to do with addiction, recovery and mental health, and here’s the answer: Whenever I travel and see someone living on the street, I’m reminded of just how easily I could have ended up the same way, and how my…  [Read More]

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