Freedom

What Freedom looks like. Just exactly what does it mean – “To be Free”? This study is not about the value for self that a person let go of. This study 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—

Freedom: Use words to define what freedom looks like from looking at yesterday and probabilities of tomorrow.

•Yesterday and what was brought into my life.

-Disappointments

-Heartache

-Problems

-Pains

-Pressures

-Losses

-Lies

-Shortages

Question: Will tomorrow look like yesterday?                  OR-

• Tomorrow and what it will bring into my life.

-Opportunities

-Challenges

-Trials

-Tests

-Requirements

-Authority

-Submissions

-Provisions

Will tomorrow be a better day than yesterday?

Unit Two: What Freedom Looks like—

If I do not understand what freedom brings to me. 
I get – Disappointments:
If I understand what freedom brings to me.
I get – opportunities:
Not resourceful
To be turned down

Not content – (literally no resource)

Yesterday

What was brought in our life

Tomorrow
Opportunities

What will be brought into my life

What a job brings into
My life

-money -resources become resourceful

No Responsibility-Never and owner of Any wrongs: Just blame others
Attached to debt, no home, homeless, court debt past due on rent, no transportation
Opportunities? to earn, to move, job challenges, trails I need to resolve problems
Security – peace, contentment, stability, resourceful
Remedial lifestyle at best: Step one, step one
Step one, Step one
Guilt from past failures

Disappointment = quit Then: Survival mode “street is where I belong”

Skills – knowledge

Take tests
Meet requirements

Have achievement

-Better quality of life
Character – discipline

It is not that I can’t afford

No references
No self-respect

It is that I will not conform

No credibility
No confidence

I have solid referrals:

Life is under control

I have provable quality of life
Character – discipline

Unit Three: What Freedom Looks like—

If I do not know what freedom is and how to have freedom in my life:

If yesterday brought heartache

-then-

Tomorrow will bring challenges
Heaviness from what I carry with me
Not resourceful= no support

-then- so

Heavy 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?

-then- so

I am disabled because the heartache hurts so much
I need direction to get tomorrow…
But I made a “deal” to get out of pain
Become habitual at getting “relief”
Get caught “using” people

-then- so

Now I must break the grip of my heartache
So I get others to do my “clean-up”
Begin to lie about wrong behavior
Adopt excuses for wrong choices
I will become full of conflict-

-then- so

I use words that are not true to do “dirt”
I will not be held responsible for the “mud puddle”
I receive suspension from social interests
I am always on probation

-then- so

The best place to be is at a place of social crisis
Everything is an emergency because I will no
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?
– my record:

What I did not do – and did I survive?                                 Or
What I did not do right.

The problem about yesterday?
What I did not do to “better”
My life…

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 or 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 we will take today – concerning yesterday?
I need to learn to “finish” today. Do better.
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 reap 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.
Role of counselor?
Give guidance
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?”

If I struggle with my health issues.

No one cares about me, anyway!

If, all the places and times
That I did not receive correction.
I did not get my needs met.

If I did not do or if did not do right.
Nothing changed. No gain.

Nobody gets anything from me – ever again.

What reason do I have for having no one to validate
My view of life?
Need guidance?
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”
that I did not receive correction. to see a better way…..
I did not get my needs met. 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 then

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
In 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 could fix more things in my life if I had more money.
A hundred bucks won’t buy what it used to.

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 to earn some money
The first thing I need to do is “make” some time.
The first thing I need to do is “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 in life that has value will cost me my life.
Every dime I earn will be put into a budget.
Every hour of my day will be 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: What Freedom Looks like—

Unit One: What words do we use to define what freedom looks like?


Unit Two: What opportunities do I get to have in my like 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.