Turn Right · Lesson
Freedom
What does freedom look like? Just exactly what does it mean “to be free”? This study is not about the value for self that a person lets go of — it is about the core values a person holds on to.
The Building Blocks of Recovery, by Steve Scaggs (all rights reserved)
Unit One · What Freedom Looks Like
Yesterday brought:
- Disappointments
- Heartache
- Problems
- Pains
- Pressures
- Losses
- Lies
- Shortages
Tomorrow can bring:
- Opportunities
- Challenges
- Trials
- Tests
- Requirements
- Authority
- Submissions
- Provisions
Will tomorrow look like yesterday — or will tomorrow be a better day?
Unit Two · What Freedom Looks Like
If I don't understand what freedom brings, I get disappointments:
- Not resourceful — not content, literally no resource. To be turned down.
- No responsibility — never an owner of any wrongs, just blame others.
- Attached to debt: no home, homeless, court debt, past due on rent, no transportation.
- Guilt from past failures. Disappointment = quit. Survival mode: “the street is where I belong.”
- No references, no self-respect, no credibility, no confidence.
If I understand what freedom brings, I get opportunities:
- Security — peace, contentment, stability, resourceful.
- Skills and knowledge — take tests, meet requirements, have achievement.
- Opportunities to earn, to move, job challenges, trials to resolve problems.
- A better quality of life. Character. Discipline.
- Solid referrals. Life under control. Provable quality of life, character, discipline.
Unit Three · What Freedom Looks Like
If I do not know what freedom is and how to have it in my life
- If yesterday brought heartache, then tomorrow will bring challenges.
- Heaviness from what I carry with me — not resourceful, no support — becomes painful. I can't carry the load. How do I get others to carry my load?
- I have no relief from pain, no remedy, maybe relief? I am disabled because the heartache hurts so much. I need direction to get to tomorrow, but I made a “deal” to get out of pain.
- I become habitual at getting “relief” and get caught “using” people. Now I must break the grip of my heartache, so I get others to do my “clean-up.”
- I begin to lie about wrong behavior and adopt excuses for wrong choices. I will become full of conflict. I use words that are not true to do “dirt,” and will not be held responsible for the “mud puddle.”
- I receive suspension from social interests. I am always on probation. The best place to be is at a place of social crisis — everything is an emergency, because I will not plan for the stress of getting better.
Unit Four · What Freedom Looks Like
If yesterday brought problems:
- The only proof that I made choices yesterday is my record — what I did not do, and did I survive, or what I did not do right.
- I did not have any compelling purpose for my life. I am not responsible for my life. No purpose = not responsible.
- I lost relationship with people that I love. I gave away the value of others in my life. I am alone — I have no respect for myself.
- I am without direction in my life. Will my life ever get better?
- What reason do I have for not planning for this day?
Tomorrow will bring trials (tests):
- The only proof that I am able to have another tomorrow is: did I thrive, did I respond, did I grow? Did I learn anything from yesterday?
- The test I will take today, concerning yesterday: I need to learn to “finish” today. I will do better today — I will do my best, next.
- I am responsible for where I am today. I did my best today and tomorrow. I will gladly reap what I have sown.
- What reasons do I have for being away from the people that I love and that love me? I am earning the respect of others.
- What reasons do I have for planning for today? I am committed to what is important in my life — I have so many reasons for planning for this day.
Unit Five · What Freedom Looks Like
If I do not have good counselors, and my needs go unmet:
- The role of a counselor is to give guidance and give correction.
- If my personal needs do not get met: “I don't get what I deserve.”
- If all I do is take from others, and struggle with my health issues — no one cares about me, anyway!
- All the places and times that I did not receive correction, I did not get my needs met.
- If I did not do, or did not do right — nothing changed, no gain. Nobody gets anything from me, ever again.
What reason do I have for planning for a better tomorrow?
- What reason do I have for having no one to validate my view of life? I need guidance, I need correction.
- What reason do I have for being angry about how I am treated? “I get what I have earned” — do I receive from others?
- What reason do I have for not taking better care of myself? Others “need” the best me I can be.
- All the times that I “needed” to see a better way, I learned to get my needs met.
- To make tomorrow better, I changed. I gained. “Others” gained from a better me!
Unit Six · What Freedom Looks Like
If yesterday brought pains:
- I need to know if I am injured.
- I need to see my challenges.
- I need to own my failures.
- I need to address my weaknesses.
- I wasted a lot of time.
Tomorrow will bring recovery through tests:
- I need to know if I am OK.
- I need to prove my abilities.
- I need to resolve my indifferences.
- I need to reconcile my failures.
- I need to give my time to what is most important.
Unit Seven · What Freedom Looks Like
If yesterday brought pressures:
- If I could just get out of this mess — mess = problems.
- I just don't get paid what I am worth. I don't have the patience for doing things in order. I have to lie on my job app in order to get hired.
- A system of discipline is not what will pay my bills — I need to “game” the system. I need to be more “clever.”
- If the things in life that I need did not cost so much — too much month, not enough money. I never have enough money.
- I am defined by how wrong I am about what is important.
Tomorrow will bring more requirements:
- Everything in life that is of value has a price — value = what is important.
- The first thing I need to do is earn some money, make some time, and find training.
- If I have a better job I might earn more money. Good training programs will keep me on track for a good promotion.
- I need to be more honest and give more effort to life. Everything of value will cost me my life — every dime I earn will be put into a budget, every hour of my day assigned a value.
- I have plenty of time to spend on solving problems. I wisely spend my time and sacrifice to save money. I am defined by how much freedom I have in my life, and about what is important.
Review
- Unit One: What words do we use to define what freedom looks like?
- Unit Two: What opportunities do I get to have in my life if I understand what freedom looks like?
- Unit Three: What challenges in my life do I deal with if I understand what freedom looks like?
- Unit Four: What is the main test that I will continue to deal with if I have freedom in my life?
- Unit Five: What are the main characteristics of having freedom in my life?
- Unit Six: What does recovery of my freedoms look like if I have defined what is important in my life?
- Unit Seven: What does meeting requirements have to do with having freedom from failure in my life?
What Freedom Looks Like · manual
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