“Boy, you better get yourself a nap and a sandwich.”
These are the words I heard from a beloved friend when I was dirt broke and f***ed up. I took those words to heart to mean that we often just need a break before that terminal threshold is reached.
Our Philosophy
The goal of recovery is to rebuild a healthy, well adjusted, and honorable life. However, you cannot attack someone's identity without promoting some quality in their character and expect them to listen to you. You cannot continue to point out their shortcomings without at least acknowledging their attributes and expect to win them over. You cannot compel someone to change without leading by example, and you cannot lead someone without first earning their respect and trust. Forcing growth and change can be done but it is highly ineffective, often counterproductive, and sometimes even dangerous.
For growth to take hold it must be inspired not coerced.
To do this, you must first recognize and build on their virtues however misplaced you may consider them, while honestly addressing their shortcomings and admitting your own. For none are so pure that they are beyond reproach nor so stained that some good cannot be found within them.
Recovery and growth take courage, honesty, and a lot of hard work. Those in addiction often struggle to relinquish those outdated concepts, unrealistic assumptions, and distorted thought patterns that have been relied upon in the past. Inspiring someone to grow and change takes patience, integrity, and sacrifice; for you cannot ask someone to remove their mask and reveal their scars without first removing your own.
Our Principles
The code we followed on the street we now apply in our recovery.
We say what we mean and mean what we say.
If you maintained any creditability on the street you handled your business honorably. People could trust what you said and knew that if sh*t got f***ed up, you‘d be the one to fix it. Recovery isn’t just sobriety! To be sustainable, we must also rebuild our character and deal with past traumas. In order to do this, we first need to be credible to ourselves. Being honest with ourselves and others, following through on what comes out of our mouths, owning our sh*t and taking responsibility for cleaning it up are the cornerstones of our philosophy.
Honesty
Let your words speak your truth.
Integrity
Let your actions match your words.
Accountability
Don’t blame anyone else—own your sh*t.
Responsibility
Clean it up yourself.
Don’t let the past steal your present.
— Terri Guillemets