Are you living life on life's terms now?

[addict3]

So many times I hear people say “I’m living life on life’s terms now”. Really?
What are life’s terms?  
What does that mean to you?
Does dealing with life on its terms now that you are clean mean just not getting numb?  Do you address a problem and deal with it?
I have heard people say this for years, and often wonder what they think it means. Life can deal devastating blows at times. Do you say “this is life; I just gotta deal with it”? Do you say if this happens, this other thing is going to happen, so I must act in this manner to prevent the other thing from happening? How do you define living life on it terms?

Used to, given difficult circumstances, I would just get drunk or have a handful of pills and deal with it that way. As you know, it was never dealt with, just put on the back burner until I sobered up. So, I think my answer is that I try to deal with what life brings each day with a better attitude than I had a few years ago. I try not to take everything so dead serious like it is a life or death matter. And I am still working on the fact that…..I am not always right and mine is not the only way. Trying to keep an open mind and not worrying so much about things that are out of my control. What do you think?

[dominosarah]

Why do you always ask things that make me think??!!  

As i sit here this morning listening to the water trickle in my basement i am living life on lifes terms.....nothing i can do about all the rain we had last night.  All i can do is make sure nothing is getting wet.  Years back i would of flipped out, been chapped as he!!.  Cant control the elements.

As for my life now.....there will always be temptations out there.  I cant control others, all i can do is control my actions.  It all comes down to choices for me.   Whatever life throws at me it is up to me to make the right choices.  I surround myself with others who make good choices.  Just for today i am clean and so very grateful~~GUARD UP!

[vicki595]

Actually,for me, life and it's terms,turns,and twists,are easier!  I don't feel like I'm swimming in peanut butter anymore...upstream!!   I had NO idea how difficult everything was when I was half unconscious! I was that way for soooo long that I thought life was just damn hard!!     Now,with a clear head and a little better JUDGEMENT...I roll with "it" pretty well.  In addition, I don't worry very much. I figure someone else is probably worried about the same thing and no two people should ever worry about the SAME thing. I let the other guy do the worrying... And as much as I can, I live in the moment and that's the best thing I've learned how to do...not always easy but it's great if you can do it!!   I was always a "fixer" and still am, but now mostly what I work on fixing is ME and my attitude toward the difficult times is just humble acceptance...

I've had an enormous amount of assistance getting to this point!!!    So,good and thoughtful post,addict3 !   I always keep the guard up...or is it keep the guards up???  I've been known to do both!!     xo

[Punkinhead75]

Life on life's terms is a great topic.  I try to think of it more as life as a Power greater than myself would have me live it.  When I think of God, I am reminded that I am not in control of anything.  When I have that mindset my brain doesn't get all twisted trying to figure "everything" out and I am better able to accept things and deal with them better than I used to.  I work on trusting or having faith that everything is as it should be.  When I am troubled with anxiety, anger, self pity or anything else that keeps me from being at peace I have a place to turn to and ask for some help.

Looking at myself and coming to understanding the truth about what keeps me from being happy and peaceful hasn't always been easy.  It has taken practice and commitment.  It is still not always easy however it is well worth it.

Life's terms today are that I am an alcoholic and an addict.  Drinking and drugging are unacceptable ways for me to live today.  I need to have a better way to live.  I cannot do this on my own.

[IBKleen]

Hey buddy. Great post.

Living life on life's terms always was (and still is) a hard one for me because that means that I have to trust that things are what they are in most circumstances. Most ALL circumstances when it really gets down to it. It can be "What do you mean the muffler fell off the car on the way home from work" to losing a beloved friend. In my mind it taps into the same place....that place that tells me I can fix it, when in reality I cannot.

Taking each instance as it comes and learning when I have control and when I need pure acceptance is the key for me. Do I fall short? You betcha!!

Just for today, I did pretty good accepting the things I could not change, but you will have to ask me again tomorrow how I am doing with that.