Pat Moriarty – Page 22 – Just A Thought

I have a friend who has unsuccessfully battled alcoholism for many years. He has spent months in treatment centers, hours upon hours in counselling, and extended stretches in a 12-Step program. All to no avail. Invariably, he returns to the bottle and self-imposed exile, to the despair of friends and family. Addiction is often wrapped in isolation and loneliness. Addiction becomes a monster, cunning, baffling and powerful. When the … Continue reading Borrowing Light From Another »

Acceptance, Honesty

Accepting a Broken Past

May 6, 2017 Pat Moriarty

Have you ever experienced an event so broken that the past and future became so tightly bound it became impossible to have a … present? A moment so broken that time stands still and memories don’t mend? Moments like these can shape our outlook on life and rob us of our happiness. Broken memories can create a pattern of negative thinking and behavior forever driving us into … Continue reading Accepting a Broken Past »

Love, Meaning Making, Sobriety

Why Is Encouragement So Powerful?

April 8, 2017 Pat Moriarty

I wonder sometimes what kind of friend I am. Will I show up when it really counts? What effort am I really ready to make to sustain a friendship? Am I just a fair weather friend? Then I came upon this story. Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an … Continue reading Why Is Encouragement So Powerful? »

Getting Started, Sobriety

When Struggle is a Good Thing

February 25, 2017 Pat Moriarty

I found a story that makes this point so nicely. A man found a cocoon made by a caterpillar. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched for several hours as the new butterfly struggled to force its body through the tiny hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and … Continue reading When Struggle is a Good Thing »

Sobriety

A Running Start to 2017 on Hong Kong’s Hills (Greg Nance)

January 14, 2017 Pat Moriarty

Enjoy today’s post from friend Greg Nance, who currently resides in Shanghai. On New Year’s Eve I toed the start line of the Ultra Trail Tai Mo Shan, a 100-mile tour of Hong Kong’s jungled trails. Along with 292 other ultrarunners, I set out to ring in 2017 by climbing 9,032 meters of cumulative elevation and soaking in the majestic mountaintop views. Why? I love … Continue reading A Running Start to 2017 on Hong Kong’s Hills (Greg Nance) »