“A new start is not starting over.”
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My son is graduating next month. 12 years of school is now under his belt. On the way to his commencement, I said to him, “We know what you are graduating from, but what are you graduating to?”
One of his classmates speaking at the ceremony reminded her fellow graduates that “A new start is not starting over…” and then she said, “You can always retake a class but you can never relive a party.”
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There is a time for growing up, for learning and for serious stuff. But there is also a time to laugh, to jump into the water and be as alive as you can be in whatever moment you are in.
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So true. Graduations remind me of how we can learn from each other, no matter how old we are.
My wife and I are trying to teach our newly minted graduate and “practicing adult” that it’s time. Time to take on some more responsibility. Time to work full time. Time to venture out. Time to step into adulthood.
It is true that it can be dangerous to try to remain responsibility-free. But becoming too ‘adult’… is also not good. Being too responsible, forward looking, aware… too anxious is not my idea of life at it’s best.
There is a time for growing up, for learning and for serious stuff. But there is also a time to laugh, to jump into the water and be as alive as you can be in whatever moment you are in.
Learn from the youth around you. Have a party, in whatever way you can. Put on your stupid-silly socks, or Batman boxer shorts. Take a shot of full on laughter and be silly. Dress in your best suit and then wear sneakers…
Recovery really is one day at a time, but it does not need to be a chore. Some days are tough, but we also need to grab the every-day moments that make us feel alive. Take a moment today to live with courage to be alive to the moment you are in.
“Stop trying to find yourself. Instead, ask yourself what makes you feel alive?”
If you enjoyed this post, you may want to read a related article, “Recovery is Not About Drugs or Depression. It is About What Makes You Feel Alive.”
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Keep it Real
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Getting High on Recovery 
Congrats to your son.
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