Trudging the Road of Happy Destiny
Kathryn Farwell has worked in addictions since 1970. She has three degrees in nursing and has worked every position from nurse's aide to director of nursing in mental health. She authored a book about addictions recovery (1995, Kornegay, K., Within Hospital Walls: An Inside Look at Chemical Dependency). Farwell has taught mental health nursing in three different state universities. She has been in recovery herself for more than 32 years. She is currently retired and teaches mental health nursing part time.
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God Awareness
Posted Tuesday, February 18, 2014, at 10:39 AMToday's blog considers the numerous ways we encounter God in our moment-by-moment daily lives. Seeing God is a matter of awareness-----of shifting one's attention away from self onto God. Yesterday I spent more time than I want to admit feeling put upon and sorry for myself... -
Breaking Even
Posted Wednesday, February 12, 2014, at 5:33 PMWhat a day! For both of my "mid-morning" and "mid-afternoon snacks" I got so busy I forgot to eat them-----and then couldn't figure out why I was getting a headache and my thinking was getting "fuzzier" than usual. Just another case of me trying to deny I need to address special health needs and trying to believe I can eat "like normal people."... -
Blocked Exit
Posted Monday, February 3, 2014, at 3:53 PM3Today I taught a class at the university in a building that had its front door chained shut and locked with a padlock. When I stopped by the Dean's office on my way out to share my concern about how unsafe it is to block a major fire exit in this manner, I was very politely and courteously told it had been done because that was the only way they had to secure the contents of the building and that now no one had a key to the padlock. ... -
Sick Dog
Posted Wednesday, January 29, 2014, at 12:36 PMYesterday I inadvertently made my dog sick. Without thinking, I dusted some spices off of my counter top onto the kitchen floor. Several hours later I had a dog trying, unsuccessfully, to throw up for forty-five minutes non-stop. To make a long story short, my vet was kind enough to see him. ... -
Thoughts on a Cold Day
Posted Saturday, January 25, 2014, at 2:31 PMToday is a perfect day for sitting inside, staying warm, and indulging in something you enjoy. However, many of can get stuck in old addictive behaviors if we don't stop and think before we indulge in something we enjoy. Lately, I've been thinking about using centering prayer techniques to help me deal with my compulsive eating addiction. ... -
Mental Roadblocks
Posted Friday, January 17, 2014, at 12:23 PMYesterday I tried to teach a group of people how to crochet. Crocheting is a skill I taught myself, and I thought it would be easy to teach this skill to others. I was wrong. What I expected to be short, mildly labor intensive for all participants, and productive became, for some, an exercise in futility. ... -
Handling Irritation
Posted Tuesday, January 14, 2014, at 11:11 AMHave you ever had one of those days where absolutely every little thing seems to bother you? How do you handle it? Do you reach for a comfort food? Enjoy an alcoholic beverage? Visit the casino to try to win big? What I have been learning to do is to pray. ... -
Rainy Day Thoughts
Posted Friday, January 10, 2014, at 1:02 PMToday, my thoughts are turning to a wonderful discovery I've made recently. Specifically, I have learned, finally, that whenever I need comfort, love, or reassurance all I have to do is turn my will off and invite God's in----so that my mind and heart are no longer focused on selfish things and are, instead, focused on accepting God's love and intent for myself... -
Surviving
Posted Tuesday, January 7, 2014, at 3:46 PMI hope everyone is surviving this "Polar Vortex" we've been caught up in for quite some time. Being "housebound" has caused me to reflect on what it is I actually need in my life to survive. So, once again, my mind turned to the topic of happiness, and this afternoon I am writing about what helps one be happy, no matter what... -
Hope Is a Frame of Mind
Posted Saturday, January 4, 2014, at 1:32 PMHope is an attitude that needs consistent feeding and support. This insight was gained today as part of my experience in centering prayer. I realized although I have been hopeful from time to time in regards to specific things, I have not cultivated the practice of contently feeling hopeful in general... -
Seeking Happiness
Posted Wednesday, January 1, 2014, at 1:19 PMHappiness is a state of mind which needs to be actively sought. Specific actions such as isolating, shutting others out, keeping one's feelings to one's self, and assorted addictive behaviors can block the feeling of happiness in ourselves and in others. On the other hand, spending face-to-face time with others, sharing conversation and friendship, comforting your friends and being comforted by your friends can all contribute to creating happiness in ourselves and others... -
Post-Christmas Courtesy
Posted Monday, December 30, 2013, at 3:07 PMToday I am writing about how holidays can be like exclamation points that draw attention to what our experience "should be" in comparison to what it actually is. For many, this comparison may be painful because one is forced to acknowledge that one's current reality is so radically different from what our culture tells us it should be at times like Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving. ... -
Strange Reality of Opposites
Posted Sunday, December 22, 2013, at 4:31 PMToday's sermon ( I think the proper Episcopalian term is "homily") was about the co-existence of both joy and sadness. It spoke of the two entities as if they were part of the same continuum. It was emphasized that the human spirit can experience both simultaneously and that both experiences are necessary to truly appreciate the depth and meaning of the two emotions... -
Love One Another
Posted Thursday, December 19, 2013, at 3:14 PMToday, I saw a woman tearfully speak words of love and forgiveness for those who shot her husband while he was jogging on the CBS morning news. Then, just now, on face book a post instructed people in recovery to forgive before they pray ( Recovery Now TV accessed 12/19/13 at https://www.facebook.com/). I usually have to pray, and sometimes pray for a long time, before I am able to forgive. Maybe I am a hard-core "grudge carrier." I hope not... -
Feeling Tired
Posted Tuesday, December 17, 2013, at 4:47 PMToday I feel emotionally drained and just plain old, "tired." My wrists, hands, and associated tendons have started hurting again as if they want to participate in a "poor me" concert. I am learning that just means the weather is changing. Again. Yesterday, after their final, I told my students that the CSTL folks at the university would work their magic and help me import an Excel program into "Moodle format" today so they could access their grades. ... -
Word of the Year
Posted Wednesday, December 11, 2013, at 8:55 AMSomeone on CBS this morning remarked that "selfie" is the new word of the year. They were discussing photos taken by people of themselves at Mandela's memorial celebration. Now, I cannot be too critical because, living alone, I have taken my share of "selfies"---mostly for my blogs that request author photos. But this new word got me to thinking about our culture's embrace of the concept of "self."... -
Snowy Gratitude
Posted Saturday, December 7, 2013, at 1:18 PMToday I swallowed my false-pride, accepted the reality of my maturing body in relationship to the snow and ice that buries my driveway, and let my Facebook friends know I had done so and would be running out of blood pressure medicine in a few days. For a person who had been in a helping profession since 1970, I am amazed at how hard it is for me to ask for and accept help from others... -
Keep Your Cell Phones Charged
Posted Wednesday, December 4, 2013, at 10:08 AMHope everyone is "stocking up" to get ready for the winter storm heading our way. We'll need water, food, batteries, blankets-----and faith to "weather the weather" coming our way. Some of us may go inward to find that faith; some will search holy books and meditation readings for strength and solace. Others will seek the support of friends and family. The source of our faith and support does not matter, to me, as much as living our faith in a way that shares God's grace and love with others... -
"Boom-bah-yah"
Posted Saturday, November 30, 2013, at 12:37 PMToday I was privileged to witness the birth of a new word. It was given birth by a friend of mine at a meeting. It was used to mean wanting to get to that "sit by the campfire, sing, and embrace" sort of place but not being quite able to get there. The word was "Boom-Bah-Yah." It was based on a word ("Kumbaya") that is almost sacred to us old hippies. ... -
Approaching Thanksgiving
Posted Wednesday, November 27, 2013, at 5:49 PM"The ritual is One The food is One We who offer the food are One The fire of hunger is also One All action is One We who understand this are One." HINDU blessing as cited in: (Altman, Donald, 2004-04-14. "Meal by Meal: 365 Daily Meditations for Finding Balance Through Mindful Eating," Kindle Locations 3201-3203. New World Library. Kindle Edition)...
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