Category: Words To Live By

If you’ve ever been on Facebook or are still on it, then I’m sure this situation has already happened to you at some point in time.

You send a “friend request” to someone, maybe to even a person you thought was already your friend in life. Facebook then gives you a status on that person’s page that says “Friend Request Sent”. At some point later you discover the status of that request has returned to “Add Friend”, which can only mean one thing, they’ve turned your request down. You start to question whether it was an erroneous mistake on their part or whether you never sent them one at all, so you send it again. But after it happens a second time, you begin to accept the truth. They don’t want to be your friend.

This is one of the bigger downfalls I’ve found with social media, because often someone who experiences this very thing might never find out the reason why that other person doesn’t want to be connected to them. Lately, I have had this happen to me a number of times on Facebook with people I’ve wanted to get to know, with others I’ve known casually in life, to even some I’ve known for years but haven’t seen in a good, long while. None have ever given me an explanation of why they’ve turned down my request, which has often left me scratching my head, feeling slightly down, and asking myself if I’ve done something wrong. But when this happened to me just recently with a fraternity brother of mine from college, I remembered one of the quotes I had used on my blog recently.

“If God shuts a door, stop banging on it. Trust that whatever is behind it, is not meant for you and move on.”

Could it be possible that a connection to that person, even on social media, might not be the healthiest for my spiritual path? Or is it possible there isn’t any need for me to be connected to them because we have nothing in common? Or maybe it’s something altogether different. Does it really matter?

For those I’ve either known casually or rather well in life that this has ever happened with, I’ve often gone to the place in my head where I wondered if I’ve hurt them in some way and owe them an amends. But I’ve come to accept that I may never know whether this is true or not and the only thing I can do is send them love, forgiveness, peace, and light, and move on.

As for my own “friend request” actions, I must say that I’ve only ever turned down two people since returning to Facebook last year. With each it was with people who were part of my sex and love addiction past, which I felt would be extremely unhealthy to be connected to on any level. But I can safely say this wouldn’t be the reason for any of the denials of my own friend requests because I haven’t ever sent them to those I used to heavily engage in addictions with.

So I’ve come to the conclusion that I really just don’t need to be banging on the door to be someone’s Facebook friend anymore once they turn me down. If they don’t want to be my friend, then I’m going to accept it’s God’s will and there’s probably a good reason for it, one that’s not worth wasting my time or energy trying to figure out. Instead, I decided I’m going to move on and invest it in those who have or continue to accept my friendship. J

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson

I’m a firm believer in my mind-body connection, in fact I’ve written about it in here before (link to it is below). I’m truly convinced that our bodies often attempt to get our attention through various pains and ailments, especially when we’re not listening to what it needs. This has happened to me quite a bit over the years, one of which being just the other day with my right arm.

I was working on writing the latest chapter in Andy’s Woodsy Adventure when it started developing some carpal tunnel-like symptoms. I’ve had this occur before, several times actually, with each always feeling like my body was trying to tell me something about the work I’m doing at my computer.

I know this might sound crazy, but the last time it did happen to me, I ended up taking two weeks off from doing my blog writing and instead placed the “Thought For The Day” entries out there. By the time I returned to writing for it again, I didn’t have those carpal tunnel-like symptoms anymore. Another good example of this is when I was working in the computer field at a particular job I didn’t enjoy years ago. The same pain developed and plagued me constantly, but guess what? It left me when I left that job.

While I’m not saying I don’t enjoy my blog writing anymore because I actually do, immensely, I am saying that I do feel a little fatigued from writing 500 to 1000 words entries day in and day out. And I just feel like my body is calling for another break somehow through this right arm pain.

My ego attempted to tell me I just took one of these when I went on vacation recently, but the truth is I worked overtime prior to leaving for it, doubling up on articles to cover me when I got back. And as soon as I returned, I immediately delved back into my writing, thus feeling like I didn’t get much of a break at all.

So I’m going to honor my right arm, as crazy as that sounds, and just take a break for the next few weeks from writing. I have a good feeling that it and me overall, will feel plenty more energized by then, ready to pour forth some renewed creativity from within. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the “Thought For The Day” entries, as well as the next chapter I’ve already written for Andy’s Woodsy Adventure (posting May 8^th).

https://thetwelfthstep.com/2013/06/07/the-mind-body-connection/

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson

A few weeks ago, I dedicated an entire blog entry to my partner Chris for all the things I felt make him truly unique and special. But something that’s always been a lot harder for me to do is look for the same things in myself. More often than not, I’ve found it far easier to find those qualities in everyone else instead. In fact, I’ve spent more time beating myself up over the years than able to see those attributes in me, hence the reason for today’s entry. So this article is dedicated to you Andrew Arthur Dawson, someone who is just as much truly unique and special in this world.

Look, I know you’ve had plenty of ups and downs in life Andrew, many of which you feel you didn’t do so well in. Yet, the truth is you’ve successfully navigated through every one of them, always taking a hard look at yourself in each and spiritually moving forward through them all. The biggest one of which is without a doubt, your recovery from your life of addictions.

You seem to easily forget all those days you lost due to submersing yourself in each of them. But look at yourself these days Andrew, you aren’t engaging in any one of them, not alcohol or drugs, not caffeine, nor even the sex and love based one that plagued you the most. Now you’re dedicated to going to recovery meetings on just about every single day of the week. You’re also diligently sponsoring five different individuals through the steps. And don’t forget how at every chance you get, you share your experience, strength, and hope with only one intended desire, to guide others to find the same within themselves.

Another huge achievement in your life is with your writing Andrew. Do you remember when you first discovered your joy of it and spent two years being a motivational columnist for several newspapers in Virginia, as well as finishing your first novel, Sebastian’s Gift? I know how often you’ve forgotten those accomplishments and instead focused on all the years you stopped writing after that. But look at you now. You’re maintaining a spiritual blog and writing new entries on a constant basis for it, consistently finding some amazing ways to expand your talent. And the last time I checked, you have composed over seven hundred original articles, which is definitely an impressive feat in itself.

But what’s even more impressive is the dedication you’ve had over the past three years to healing yourself from within. Not only have you walked through great levels of pain without any medications the entire time, you also have never given up any of your spiritual routines out of frustration. Instead you’ve remained steadfast every day listening to your spiritual teacher’s audio attunement, meditating for 40 minutes, writing in your gratitude journal, praying, and doing your list of affirmations that at times has even exceeded over 250 repetitions. Many would have given up on your quest long ago, discarding the holistic healing process you’ve chosen to remain on, and opted instead for an easier solution. That’s why I’m so proud of you Andrew for sticking with it and keeping your faith in God, because I know you are on the cusp of reaping the fruits of your hard labor.

There is one more thing that should not go unmentioned as well Andrew and that’s the success you’re having in your relationship with Chris. Don’t your remember in each of your prior relationships how you usually thought of yourself first. Take a good look now and you’ll see how more than not, you continue to place Chris’s needs, wants, and desires ahead of your own, even on days when your pain levels have been great and you’ve wanted to be selfish. Even more importantly is the fact that you continually own when you’ve been at fault with something, which is a far cry from the days when you blamed your partner for everything, especially your own mistakes.

There are many more things as well Andrew you’re doing today that show just how far you’ve come on your spiritual journey in life. From saying grace at every meal, to offering unconditional love to everyone, to removing all the anger and resentments from your life, to learning how to have greater patience in even the silliest of things like doing 1000 piece puzzles, you truly are very unique and special, and I’m so very proud of you for how far you’ve come.

So thank you Andrew for being a much stronger beacon of light for the world nowadays. It’s become a far better place for others to live in because of all your hard work and spiritual growth. Never forget that and never give up. And know I love you unconditionally Andrew Arthur Dawson, always and forever.

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson