Living Large On No Budget

Hi everybody,

Last night at my “day” job (yep, it’s at night), I was speaking with an individual who was a heavy drug user, but has been clean for a few months, now.

This person was practically in tears, because it was so hard to face reality. In this person’s words, “It’s just so much easier getting high.”

This person is like thousands of addicted individuals who just don’t understand one simple basic truth.

Your life ain’t never gonna change and get better, EVER, unless–

Oh, I’ll tell you in a minute. So, just hold on just a pea-pickin’ minute.

Let me ask you some things first.

Is your life going to get better if you make more money?

Maybe.

But, like most people, when you have more money, you think you deserve more material things. So, you end up blowing it all on things that will never make your life better. (Maybe easier, but not always better.)

Will a new relationship make you happier?

Not likely. Each relationship comes with new situations and problems that have to be overcome, so you have to do things to make that situation work.

Is there a pill that will make you happier?

All you Prozac users hold on just one minute.

All Prozac does is regulate your chemistry, but the effects wear off, so you have to become “addicted” to Prozac for the euphoria to continue.

(Y’all didn’t learn that Huey Lewis was being facetious about “a new drug. One that does what it should.” Huey told everybody the point of that song is that there ain’t no drug that will make him feel as good as “like he feels when he’s with you.”)

There is nothing externally that will EVER make your life better.

Here comes the secret:

Happiness comes from within. You have to decide to be happy with whatever situation you are in. (Just like the Apostle Paul said, “Whatever situation I find myself in, I am content.”)

Then, regardless of what job you have, how much you make, where you live, or who you are with, you can be happy.

The other thing that I told this person was that I wanted her to put a sled on the ground and pull it. Then to keep piling rocks on it until and keep trying to pull it.

The “rocks” are all the negative things that you keep holding on to in your life. Until and unless you rid yourself of the past mistakes and errors, and start WHERE YOU ARE NOW, you will never move forward.

Not everybody can do that easily. But, perfect practice makes perfect. (Realize I didn’t say practice makes perfect. If you keep using a wrong technique and keep practicing that wrong technique, you’ll get a perfectly wrong technique.)

I’m working on setting up a “coaching” program that will help people overcome their addictions without therapy, patches, drugs, counseling, or 12 Step Groups. (Realize I’ve walked away from marijuana, booze, and cigarettes without any of the aforementioned. Because, I understand a few things about the truth about addictions.)

I’ll keep you posted.

Make it a great day!

Brother Paul

Hi everybody,

So far, we’ve looked at creating reality, understanding why you believe things the way you do, and group dynamics.

But, that still seems pretty disjointed, doesn’t it.

Well, here’s what puts it all together.

You have to have someone who is in control. It could be a mentor, a counselor, a facilitator, or a coach.

Let me show you why.

Remember the story by William Golding called the Lord Of The Flies.

It’s about a group of well-raised English students who crash landed on an island. No adults survived.

They quickly decided they must form a society to succeed.

They divided into groups where those who hunted quickly took the dominance, as they brought the food that sustained the group.

But, the hunters were selfish and doled out punishment mercilessly to any who opposed them.

Soon, a death occurred needlessly.

Chaos broke loose, and they quickly became savages acting out of control.

And, then–

they were found.

And, when the Naval officer stood over them, order appeared to be restored.

Well, great–what’s that got to do with beating addiction.

When you have a group that has no natural or ordained leader, chaos occurs.

You need someone to set the tone, the goals, and the planned outcomes to overcome the chaos.

You need, in short, what I call a Point Of Help.

This is why I feel that a lot of 12 Step Programs do NOT succeed.

The group comes together–they talk about their failures, and their successes (talking about failures can merely reinforce them, instead of moving on), and they become friends with fellow addictees, all who believe they have no hope of overcoming their addiction, while admitting they are powerless.  (I believe that you can rely on God’s Holy Spirit to help, but YOU have to make the choice, which means you need to use YOUR POWER to choose.)

When you put these keys together, you can start the process of ridding yourself of an addiction:

#1: Choose to believe that if you’ve chosen the reality you now exist in, that you can change that reality.

#2: Choose to believe that you can change the beliefs that have been ingrained within you.

#3: Understand that you do not need to follow the group dynamics that have been set up for you previously.

#4: Choose to accept a facilitator of some kind to help you overcome those addictions.

I truly believe that everything that has made you a failure to this point is because of some addiction to something that has prevented you from succeeding. Be it booze, smoking, gambling, drugs, sex, pornography, negativity, fear of success, or whatever.

And, I know that when you apply certain principles that involve not tips or tricks, but actual lifestyle changes, YOU Can Overcome All Of Those, And Begin Succeeding.

We’ll look at the next steps which include understanding that beating addiction involves lifestyle changes and changing your circle of friends in the next couple of steps.

Make it a great day!

Brother Paul

Hi everybody,

Welcome to Living Large In A Small Town On No Budget.

The very first step in beating your obstacles and your addictions is quite simply the only statement that nobody can dispute.

Pay attention now.

Here’s the one fact that nobody can dispute:

Through the events you experience and the surroundings you are in, YOU create YOUR own reality.

Let me clarify that for you.

I know, through my own experiences, that God is a reality.

Yet, there are others who claim, through their own experiences that he is not a reality.

How is this possible? Aren’t we on the same planet? Don’t we breathe the same air?

Yes, we do.

But, yet both my reality and their reality are complete polar opposites.

Well, then, who is right?

We both are. (Although I think I’m “righter” than they are. And, I’m sure they are making the same claim.)

But, let’s say that you accept this indisputable argument.

How can that help you overcome your obstacles and your addictions?

I’ll come back to that in a later blog.

But, understand this: in the current accepted model of “treating” (notice those who choose that path state that an addiction can never be cured, only treated), the reality is that number one: YOU CANNOT BE CURED!

That model of addiction also states as a reality that once you have tasted or partaken in the addiction, YOU ARE ADDICTED!

But, I’m here to tell you, that through my experiences, I KNOW those are not realities at all.

So, how do we get you to change your reality, and beat your addictions.

That’s what our main website: http://livinglargeonnobudget.com

is about.

Curious? Want to know more?

Go there and sign up for our newsletter.

Make it a great day!

Brother Paul