January invites us to pause and take stock. A new year stretches out before us, often carrying both quiet hope and familiar apprehension. For those on a journey of recovery, this moment can feel especially charged. Full of intentions, questions, and the subtle fear of whether change is truly possible.
January invites us to pause and take stock. A new year stretches out before us, often carrying both quiet hope and familiar apprehension. For those on a journey of recovery, this moment can feel especially charged. Full of intentions, questions, and the subtle fear of whether change is truly possible.
As we begin this new year, we return to that essential truth: lasting change is not built in a single moment, but through honest reflection, shared experience, and the courage to keep moving forward.
This month, we reflect on beginnings, on first steps, renewed commitments, and the quiet strength that emerges when we allow ourselves to believe that the journey ahead, while imperfect, is worth taking.
The most important step on any journey is the first one. For our January newsletter, we logically focus on the first of the twelve steps. It is obvious that if the first step is not taken, no others will follow. In the heroic journey of addiction recovery, ironically, the
only hope is to admit defeat. This is the necessary first step on the journey. The
alcoholic, the compulsive gambler, the drug addict, has become so demoralized that he or she comes to believe that all hope is lost. It is ironic that such loss of hope opens the
Elsewhere in this newsletter we have looked at hope as a valuable intentional choice with which to start the new year. Here is a suggestion for implementation of hopefulness in your life.
Sit quietly. Think about someone you care about. Hold them in your heart for a moment.
While doing so, hope for them to have all the goodness, health, and love that
they can. Move on to someone else. Do the same for them. Continue on until your heart is filled with hope. Smile and go on with your day. Of course, you can include yourself as the object of hope. You could challenge yourself by including someone you don’t care for. This is your meditation, so play with it as you wish. I hope you find this useful.
My Blog - The Intersection of
Hope & Faith
So, I was driving home the other day when I decided to take what I hoped to be a shortcut to avoid a traffic snarl. I turned down Hope Street and came to Faith Street. This stuck me as being an oddity one could probably only experience in the Deep South. I have been living here in Georgia for over forty years, and I am accustomed to the Bible Belt atmosphere which I have grown to appreciate. For this entire time, I have lived less than 2 miles from the intersection of Hope and Faith without realizing it. After mulling this over for several days, I have decided to try to make some spiritual sense of this idea...
On the Bookshelf - Mussar in Recovery: A Jewish Spiritual Path to Serenity & Joy
With this book Hannah L. and Rabbi Winokur have introduced to the recovery world a Jewish spiritual path that is workable and valid for those of any religion, and even for those who subscribe to no religion. The authors acknowledge that the twelve step programs have great value, and much of the meat of the book explains how the path of Mussar and the path of the twelve steps complement each other. Taken together, they can provide the necessary direction and tools to navigate the heroic journey of recovery successfully. They make it clear that recovery is not simply abstinence, but a transformative process that leads to joy and serenity.
I’m honored to be a speaker at the 74th VETS2INDUSTRY Networking Event happening on January 13, 2026. VETS2INDUSTRY is a nationwide nonprofit supporting over 100,000 veterans, service members, and their families each year through networking events, career resources, and volunteer-led programs.
At this event, I will explore the Heroic Journey as a powerful framework for understanding addiction recovery, life transitions, and personal transformation - particularly as they relate to veterans and others facing profound change. In addition, I will highlight how purpose, community, and service sustain long-term healing and meaning.
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