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Gayle shares her journey from addiction to spiritual awakening. She discusses how childhood trauma led to substance abuse, her experiences as a high-functioning addict, and the pivotal moment that sparked her recovery. Gayle describes her unexpected spiritual awakening and how it transformed her life, emphasising the importance of community, self-reflection, and taking responsibility. She also touches on the challenges of maintaining relationships during recovery and finding a new sense of self without substances.
Whether you're struggling with addiction or simply seeking personal growth, Gayle's story offers hope, wisdom, and practical insights for anyone on a journey of self-discovery.

Summary

Gayle shares her journey of awakening and transformation, starting from her struggles with addiction and feeling like she didn't belong. She used drugs and alcohol as an escape and was in abusive relationships. 
However, a pivotal moment made her realise that she needed to change. She found a spiritual community and started taking classes while still using drugs and alcohol. One day, she had a life-changing experience and decided to quit drinking, using drugs, and smoking. She navigated the challenges by showing up in the community, taking responsibility for her life, and making choices. 
She lost some friends and faced resistance from family, but she found new friends and a different kind of family in her spiritual community. 
Gayle reflects on her journey as a minister and a recovering addict and how she found her path to self-discovery and self-love. She emphasises the importance of taking time to reflect and step away from the noise of life. Gayle believes that everyone is inherently spiritual, with a divine essence within them. She shares her belief in forgiveness and the power of loving the essence of others, even if their behaviour is hurtful. Gayle also discusses the process of reconditioning oneself and changing negative self-talk to create a more positive and empowered life.

Gayle Dillon

Website - https://www.practicaleverydaywisdomcsl.org
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PracticalEverydayWisdomCSL
Gayle's Wakeup Call  - text the word JOIN to +1 8336833502 for daily quotes with an associated affirmation

Takeaways

• Addiction can be a way to escape feelings of not belonging and trauma.
• Finding a spiritual community and taking classes can help in the journey of transformation.
• Quitting drugs and alcohol can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and peeling back layers of old beliefs.
• Navigating the challenges of change requires showing up, taking responsibility, and making choices.
• Losing friends and facing resistance from family can be part of the process, but it also opens up the opportunity to find new friends and a different kind of family. Taking time to reflect and step away from the noise of life is important for self-discovery and personal growth.
• Everyone is inherently spiritual, with a divine essence within them.
• Forgiveness and loving the essence of others, despite their hurtful behaviour, can lead to personal healing and growth.
• Reconditioning oneself and changing negative self-talk is essential for creating a more positive and empowered life.

Sound Bites

• "When I heard my best friend's mother say a shock to her system activated her leukaemia, I convinced myself I was responsible for my best friend dying. That guilt became the foundation for years of self-destructive behaviour."
• "Living clean and sober isn't just about not using substances. It's about facing yourself, peeling back the layers, and learning to navigate life with a clear mind and open heart."
• "Your awakening might feel like you're losing everything - friends, family roles, coping mechanisms. But you're actually making room for authentic relationships and a truer version of yourself."
• "Sometimes, divine intervention comes in unexpected ways. What feels like a setback or loss might be the universe clearing your path for something better."
• "Recovery isn't about perfection. It's about progress, learning to pause before reacting, and making conscious choices that align with who you truly are."
• "I needed the last couple of years to sit and really reflect on my path as a minister, my path as a clean and sober person."
• "God is in and through and as each and every one of us. So that's, we are inherently spiritual because we have that divine essence within us."
• "I can now love the essence of who he is, knowing that the who he has shown up as on earth as an abusive person is because of what he learned here as a human, not how he was born into being human."