"Playing the Tape"

I posted this to my blog yesterday and the comments I received got me thinking I should post it on the boards as well. This has helped me immensely in my journey and maybe it can help you as well.



I woke up this morning and felt as good as any other in the last month. I went through my usual routine and when I was dressing for my daily AM run, I had a thought cross my mind that I didn't feel like running today.

I did what I have conditioned myself to do with defeatist thoughts and just let it go on by like a passing car. Out of my mind as quickly as it came in. Once I got on the T/M, I got to thinking that this was the first time in a while since I had had a thought like that.

If you have read some of my posts, you know that I'm an addict in recovery with quite a few "24's". It reminded me of my early days in recovery when my sponsor taught me a simple tool. "Play the Tape" is a pretty simple thought process that, with practice, becomes second nature and quite automatic.

When a negative thought comes into my mind like, "Let's get high," or "I don't feel like running today," I mentally play that choice out in my mind to the natural conclusion. The end result of "getting high" now leads to my death.... maybe soon or maybe a little later, but certainly it WILL kill me!!

The thought of "let's not run today" would take me back to being an obese, unhealthy couch potato and I CERTAINLY don't want to go THERE!

So with lots of practice of "playing the tape" I can get to the "end" of the film in my head QUICKLY and choose the healthy choice without all the internal debate.

Try this exercise to see if it helps you fight the voices in your head trying to keep you from being successful in your battle to get healthier. With practice you too can use it to make better choices. It has given me back the control I relinquished when I gave in to the negative thinking in the past.