Bullfighter Knows How It’s Done
Posted by admin in addiction, alcohol, alcoholic, change, courage, drugs, help, recovery, substance abuse
I rarely watch the reality show, “Dancing With the Stars,” but I happened to catch the season premier on Monday night. My favorite moment, however, was not one of a dancer dancing. It was when Ty Murray—a nine-time World Champion rodeo cowboy and Jewel’s husband—made a comment just before going onstage to dance his first dance on live TV (In front of several of his “cowboy buddies” no less).
Ty said, “I’m approaching it (his performance) like bullfighting…you’re never completely ready—it just becomes your turn.”
Well put, Ty! That’s the way it goes with so many things.
Once upon a time I participated in a “therapeutic” exercise that required each of us to climb a 30 foot high telephone pole, stand there on the small, round wooden surface the size of a plate with nothing to hold onto, and “Leap!” We were supposed to try to grab hold of the metal bar swinging out in front of us. If we missed, we fell. Of course we had a safety harness on, but let me tell you…. Number one, I NEVER want to do that again. And two, there came a point when I had to just jump. Waiting all day wasn’t going to make it any easier, and, in fact, every second I delayed my fear increased. I just had to jump.
And so it is with quitting a habit, especially a deeply addictive habit like smoking and drinking. You’re never completely ready to quit, it just becomes your turn. And then you’ve done it! All over, not so bad, good job…la te da, no big deal see? Well, the accomplishment is always HUGE, but the actual leaping part is not so difficult—once you do it.
Tags: addiction, addiction help, alcohol, alcoholic, change, drugs, healing fear, recovery, substance abuse, Ty Murray
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Ole! I really enjoy your posts.
When I quit smoking the first few days were like free falling — I didn’t know what was going on. It got a lot easier as time went on but taking the initial “leap” to quit is like you say, “You’re up!”
So often, the anticipation of a large event is far greater than the event itself.
I like the notion of one’s turn simply arriving. It puts the approach and arrival of a major event into perspective. No fanfare, no overprocessing, it just your turn showing up in its order. You are at that moment as perpared as you can be so just get on with it.
As a historically anxious person, this outlook simplifies things.
Thanks. Ciao. Chaz
“Historically anxious”—I know what you mean. The trick is to learn to separate the real storms from the imagined, future storms. And quitting drinking wasn’t actually the storm we thought it would be right? It was definitely difficult in so many ways, but it has not been the “storm” I had always feared—of course, I’ve been going about it differently this time too. As Ty’s wife, Jewel, sings, “Just Breathe” (and “Jump!”).
This is so hard…and why we make New Years resolutions…we hope that will make us “jump.” I guess jumping would mean we last longer than a day and a half, that we actually quit for good. Good post, thanks.