Don’t Give Up
INTRODUCTION
Recovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential (SAMSHA, July 2019). Recovery is not about getting rid of our behavioral health problems but seeing beyond them, recognizing and fostering our strengths, abilities, interests and dreams. This group has come together because each of us wants to be our “best self”. Sometimes this can be a hard, lonely journey.
As a group we will work together, learn from each other and give each other support. We will combine our faith, courage and ideas to help each other. We will talk a lot about becoming our best self and living a better life in this group. When we say our "best self" we mean getting help from our community, family, friends, and a power greater than ourselves to live a strong, balanced life. When we choose to become our best self, we care for our physical needs, social emotional health and spiritual life while finding ways to expand our knowledge. We are better able to give back and help others. Being our best self doesn't mean we will be able to get and do anything we set our minds to, but we can have a life worth living.
Each session we will combine our faith and trust in the group and a higher power with learning skills that help meet practical needs. All so we can become better. Life worth living groups work best when everyone is actively present; shares their ideas; completes the activities; loves and supports each other; works on their promises during the week, and shares what they learned in the next meeting.
CHECK IN
Gratitude: Taking time every day to be grateful can help our health, relationships, emotions and happiness. Write something you are grateful for this week. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Discuss: Share what you learned when you tried to be more honest last week. Write down your thoughts.
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DON’T GIVE UP
Think: When have you been determined and stayed with something, even if it was hard and you wanted to quit?
Read: Life doesn't usually go as we planned so we need to be courageous and determined. Jewish and Christian scripture teaches, "Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." (Chronicles) Being determined takes faith but it's always worth it.
Discuss: Can you share a story of how you or someone you know who wanted to give up but kept going? What helped keep you going? What did you learn from that story? Write down your thoughts.
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Positive Reinforcement through Affirmation Activity
Step 1: Make groups of 2-3 people.
Step 2: Have one person say something positive about themselves to their partners, like “I am confident and strong,” or “I care about others,” or “I have a good life.”
Step 3: Have the other two people in the group respond by saying something positive they have noticed about the person. For example, "I have seen that you really care about other people."
Step 4: This person can repeat the compliment they were given. For example, "I do really care about others."
Step 5: Now switch places and repeat the activity with the other two people in your group.
Discuss: What did you learn about positive reinforcement from this activity?
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Read: We can use our minds to change the negative thoughts, ideas and beliefs we have about ourselves or our lives. This will help us see ourselves the way our higher power sees us. When this happens, we start to have the courage we need to become our best self.
Commit: This week I will:
___Work on being determined and staying with the hard things in life.
___ Practice changing my negative thoughts into positive ones.
___ Share what I am learning with my community, family and friends.