Sitting On My Hands

[Guest guest]

A few weeks ago our small online group got curious about 's "sit on your hands" story and asked him for a few more words on it and to tie it in with the hexaflex. Here is his response which he has given me permission to share. It might be helpful as you sit on your hands and wonder what is supposed to happen!! :)Bill********************************************************************************************************************************************************Hi Bill - well, I think it has looked different in different contexts at different times. When I first got started, and was letting go of getting high every day, I would have days when it felt as though my ribs would crack from muscular tension. Everything in me screamed for release that was absolutely and easily available in the form of a drink or drug. Sitting on my hands sometimes literally meant sitting on my hands. If I was sitting on my hands it was hard to drive to the liquor store or dial a phone or do anything else that would put me in proximity of the next high.Later it meant something like "staying the course." Getting up each day, going to work, refraining from impulsive avoidance-driven change. Steadiness I suppose. Mostly these days were not incredibly expansive and did not involve what most would call "progress."Physicians talk about the first principle of "do no harm." Sitting on your hands for me really means "do no harm." Some days that is the best I seem to have. I count them now as good days, though at the time, those days did not have the look or feel of progress. They felt like failed days.ACT processes? Certainly acceptance, sitting still did not come naturally to me--I was a practiced runner. Letting go of all the stories running around in my head about what I could and could not do, what was possible, what I deserved, and on. Values but in a somewhat obscured sense. Not values expansion, but a day of "do no harm" beats most all of my days getting high. Commitment? Well, did not feel like it then, but staying in place involved a ton of commitment.gotta go. I have an early morning tomorrow. Hope this helps.warm regards to you and the group,******************************************************************************************************************************************************

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing this, Bill (and ).

-R.

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> A few weeks ago our small online group got curious about 's " sit on your

hands " story and asked him for a few more words on it and to tie it in with the

hexaflex. Here is his response which he has given me permission to share. It

might be helpful as you sit on your hands and wonder what is supposed to

happen!!

:)Bill**************************************************************************\

******************************************************************************Hi

Bill - well, I think it has looked different in different contexts at different

times. When I first got started, and was letting go of getting high every day, I

would have days when it felt as though my ribs would crack from muscular

tension. Everything in me screamed for release that was absolutely and easily

available in the form of a drink or drug. Sitting on my hands sometimes

literally meant sitting on my hands. If I was sitting on my hands it was hard to

drive to the liquor store or dial a phone or do anything else that would put me

in proximity of the next high.Later it meant something like " staying the

course. " Getting up each day, going to work, refraining from impulsive

avoidance-driven change. Steadiness I suppose. Mostly these days were not

incredibly expansive and did not involve what most would call

" progress. " Physicians talk about the first principle of " do no harm. " Sitting on

your hands for me really means " do no harm. " Some days that is the best I seem

to have. I count them now as good days, though at the time, those days did not

have the look or feel of progress. They felt like failed days.ACT processes?

Certainly acceptance, sitting still did not come naturally to me--I was a

practiced runner. Letting go of all the stories running around in my head about

what I could and could not do, what was possible, what I deserved, and on.

Values but in a somewhat obscured sense. Not values expansion, but a day of " do

no harm " beats most all of my days getting high. Commitment? Well, did not feel

like it then, but staying in place involved a ton of commitment.gotta go. I have

an early morning tomorrow. Hope this helps.warm regards to you and the

group,

>

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