Workshop Expectations

What are our expectations of you? Simple. That you conduct yourself in a mature, productive way. That you respect the individuality and anonymity of others striving to change their lives. That you accept that you are the one responsible for making and maintaining changes to your life. And that your goal in using these lessons is to help guide you through the development of a strong, stable foundation for which to make those changes.

Time Commitment

Though there is no time requirements associated with this workshop, there are several guidelines that have proven beneficial for others:

Don't go too fast. Attempting to complete several lessons in a single day is going too fast. You simply cannot apply the insights effectively in such a manner. To approach the workshop in this manner is to take an intellectual approach and thus, miss it's effectiveness.

Don't have the goal of completing the workshop. The workshop...your healing...your life: these are all processes that evolve; they are not isolated events. To take the approach of 'I want to complete the workshop in the next two months' is to miss the point of why you are doing this. Completing this workshop will do nothing for you. Applying this workshop will allow you to begin the process of changing your life. How long will it take you to apply the concepts? There is no answer for that.

Don't go too slow. After the initial excitement of trying something new wears off, if you find yourself only completing lessons when you are starting to struggle with your emotions...then you are going too slow. If only your partner's relapse triggers your motivation to continue the process of change...then you are going too slow. The great majority of permanent change occurs when you are in a positive, active state, not a reactive one. Once you have begun the process of change, commit yourself to following it through through bad times, but especially through good.

Energy Commitment

Physically, each lesson requires between fifteen minutes and several hours to complete. Some exercises can be broken into parts that may take a week or longer to really hold value. Emotionally, your responses to each lesson will vary widely. Some will provide you with an 'a-ha!' experience and send your mind over the edge with excitement and anticipation. Others will reinforce the drudgery of life and what you have been through--and will make you question whether or not it is worth it to continue. People respond in all sorts of ways. The bottom line is this: emotions are overrated when it comes to recovery. In fact, they can be a downright obstacle. Because you will be exploring very personal aspects of your life, expect an emotional drain...but don't put too much emphasis on one particular emotional response or another. In the long run, these workshops will assist you in providing a stable foundation for change.

Personal Expectations

You are expected to present yourself with sincerity and maturity in all communication within the community. You are expected to respect the fact that others have come to this site possessing a wide range of problems--some mild, some severe--but that they have an equal right to resolve those issues. You are expected to understand that even the most obvious insights to some, can prove difficult to grasp for others. You are expected to put yourself first--in terms of focusing your questions and insights on issues that reflect what you are working on or have experience with. You are expected to maintain a healthy, supportive and anonymous presence within the community.