Recently a convicted felon wrote columnist “Dear Abby” lamenting he was “on a one-way trip down a road that leads nowhere.” The man said he felt hopeless about his future behind bars and signed his name “Inmate on a Dead End.” A few weeks later, another reader of the column wrote to say: “I want| The Phoenix Spirit
When I was ten years old, my mother gave birth to my youngest sister. Afterwards, she was dead for about eight minutes until the doctors brought her back to life. I was there for my sister’s birth and there afterwards, through all the pain and frantic decisions my parents made following that day. When I| The Phoenix Spirit
"Wealth is the number of things we can do without." Leo Tolstoy If you're one of the many people who are going overboard this holiday season, this article may not be for you. On the other hand, it may be perfect for you. So many of us express our love for others by buying things| The Phoenix Spirit
Most of us are aware of those sublime experiences of life we call love. We may feel uplifted in being more than we already are through the continued tenderness of a loved one. It’s as good as it gets. We may also have magnificent moments when we have transported a dear one to be a| The Phoenix Spirit
Month: September 2018| thephoenixspirit.com
Crystal Hill, founder of Twin Cities Wellness Center – Recovery Gym, remembers the exact moment she decided to get sober. She stood at the black line for boot camp during her second incarceration. Sergeants and CEOs were verbally in her face, “You think you're a pretty girl. You think you can change when you want| The Phoenix Spirit
Staying emotionally connected to your teen is essential both for you and for your adolescent. It may feel impossible at times but it is a crucial relationship task. A deep dark secret of adolescence is that being a teenager is often a lonely time, more than anyone cares to admit. The necessary loss of a| The Phoenix Spirit
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." —Egyptian proverb, 2400BC Life is a blur. There's never enough time. Myra and I work ten hour days at least five days a week. Sometimes weekends. She teaches middle school with larger and larger class sizes. I'm a software engineer who's expected to do the| The Phoenix Spirit
This article first appeared in our April 2007 issue of The Phoenix Spirit. Many people believe that punishing and explosive anger is a sign of power, confidence and "being on top of your game." In face, this is not the case at all. Disrespectful anger and even all out rage actually come out of a| The Phoenix Spirit
Substance use disorder and the rapid rise in overdose deaths are among the most urgent issues facing our state. To save more lives and help communities heal, we must work together. That is why I’m particularly excited about an upcoming summit here in Minnesota. In January, several partners will host the SUD Shared Solutions Summit,| The Phoenix Spirit
We know we can’t save anyone from their pain and suffering. We know trying to rescue or change someone in the throes of addiction drains us to the point of depletion; it becomes a never-ending cycle of feeling hopeless and helpless. We desperately want to maintain hope and feel guilty if we give up. The| The Phoenix Spirit