Larry Winter

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. In our culture, we are often taught that life is about moving upward, moving forward, and doing it all by ourselves. For much of my life, I believed this was the way I was supposed to live. But Recovery has taught me something […]

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the Recovery Alignment State Tour in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The Alignment helps communities learn how to respond through Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC), community-based mental health services, and support for people experiencing substance misuse. The Alignment

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. Water cleanses; blood gives life. Both flow through us without judging our emotions: peace, joy, sadness, or pain. Recovery, too, renews our hearts and spirits, guiding us through life’s emotional currents. Though the path can be thorny, challenges help us connect with others

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. During our Recovery, we balance healing by working on ourselves and the character defects that can hold us back. The work looks different for each person. It may include mindfulness meditation, learning skills to build healthier relationships, managing our emotions, or changing unhealthy

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. Have you heard the saying, “Begin with the end in mind”? In Recovery, the end isn’t simply getting back what we have lost. It is discovering a new self through the journey. Until we realize that our old way of living is no

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. Faith is learning to trust what is real and to trust that Recovery can be found within it—even before we change it. This may be one of our greatest stumbling blocks. The work is to keep our hearts from shutting down and our

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. When we pray, our first urge may be to ask for specific answers to specific problems. We may also ask God to help other people in the way we think they should be helped or healed. In these moments, we are asking God

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. Today, I want to take a break from writing about Recovery in general and share with you how my own Recovery journey is progressing. Over the last few days, I have felt some emotional and mental anxiety and sadness. I am curious about

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. The genius of Recovery is that it does not deny the dark side of life. Instead, it embraces forgiveness and failure and holds out a promise of wholeness. This is much of the purpose of the 12 Steps. I believe Recovery has a

I hope that wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you. Did you know that the Greek word for tragedy means “goat story”? The Odyssey is a primal goat story. Poor Odysseus keeps moving forward and backward, up and down—mostly down—as he makes his way home to Ithaca. What does Odysseus’s story have to