Dear Sobriety,

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before (and I’m terrible at actually tagging what I write about), so I figure this is probably the best time to bring it (back) up.

The “three C’s” I first learned while going through an outpatient dual-diagnosis program.  Dual-diagnosis is essentially when you’re not only lucky enough to have a substance abuse issue, but also a mental health diagnosis tagged on to you.  Which, if we’re all being really honest with ourselves, can’t we all say that we’ve experienced depression, anxiety, mania, etc. at least one time in our lives?  I digress…

As I was still drinking while going through this program, I didn’t really apply the “three C’s” to anything; therefore, I was still angry (ie. afraid) at everything.  I popped the ie in there because I believe anger is a secondary emotion.  I digress again…

Let’s just get down to brass tacks, shall we:

The Three C’s:

1. Didn’t Cause It.

2. Can’t Control It.

3. Can’t Change It.

I think I’m safe in assuming that most, if not all, of us are experiencing some sort of symptom that our mental health is not quite operating at optimum levels due to COVID-19 sweeping across the world.  The “Three C’s” help me, quite honestly, keep my sh!t together not just for day-to-day life, but also have helped immensely during times of extreme stress; therefore, assisting in lowering my anxiety levels and lessening my depression just by asking myself these three simple questions in regard to nearly any person, place, thing, event that is affecting my self-peace.

Did I cause this to happen?
Nope.
Can I control what has happened and/or what is happening around me?
Nope.  (see hula hoop rule below)
Can I change what has happened and/or what is happening around me?
Nope. (see hula hoop rule below)

Pretty easy, huh?  I have to keep things simple for myself because otherwise, I will get all sorts of twisted up in the details and go down a hundred different tangents which seemingly always end in some sort of negative circumstance.  Never a positive outcome in this lovely brain I have.

So what’s the hula hoop rule because it looks like you’ve added caveats to control and change?

So glad you asked!  I know that I am incredibly anal and nitpicky when people ask me to do things and while I was typing this up, I realized that if I can find an “out” in an exercise I’m doing, then I betcha others can too.

Go get a hula hoop.  Go on… I’ll wait here.  Don’t have one?  No?  Well, I don’t either.  I think I left mine back at my parents’ house in 1992.  If you do have one, lemme tell ya, I am a bit jelly over here cause they help with core toning like you wouldn’t believe.  Now I know why I was so tiny growing up.
Since I lack time traveling skills, I think we’re going to have to use our imaginations for this one.  Please put on imaginative, extraordinary, extravagant, insanely complex looking, sparkly time traveling helmet and tighten chin strap.

Side note: I just had to ask Alexa what the diameter of an average hula hoop is for those of us who need to include more details for their imaginations.  She told me it is 40 inches (1.02 meters for the rest of the world).

Ok, so step inside your imaginary, rainbow colored, glittered, sequined, tiny cat shadowed, 40 inch diameter hula hoop.  Look at all the things inside that hula hoop.  Yeah.  That’s going to be just yourself.  Everything inside that beautiful, iridescent, hula hoop is what you can control and what you can change.  Everything outside that most magical of hula hoops is outside of your control and you are unable to change it.  Simple, right?  Yes.  It really is that simple.

That’s it.  Now you know the “Three C’s” and the hula hoop rule.  I’m not going to go into anymore details about them because, well, in my opinion, sure you could talk all day about each of these, but that goes back to adding nitpicky, anal details that are completely unnecessary.

Go out.  “Three C” and hula hoop rule the sh!t out of your life and witness your anxiety begin to lower if you really believe yourself.

Love you all!  Sending lots of kitty kisses and good juju out to the world! ♥