"A Journey of Self Discovery" with Ann Roach | Discovering Spirit Within with Rev. Deborah Philips

Six years ago in October of 2014, I walked into my first Co-dependents Anonymous (CoDA) meeting.  I felt broken and overwhelmed with my life.  I was the eternal “yes” person, saying yes to my detriment.  I wanted to please everyone else, wanted desperately to be liked and loved by others and made everyone else’s opinion more important than my own.  My home life was shaky, my children were defiant, and I felt like there was something intrinsically wrong with me.  I didn’t know how to set boundaries or ask for what I needed.   I needed a change. I needed to change, and I didn’t know how.  In that first meeting, I sat in astonishment as others spoke about my life, my feelings and my experience.  It was as if they were telling my story.  I knew I was in the right place at the right time just where I was meant to be.  I cried the entire meeting.

CoDA is an anonymous twelve step program whose common purpose is to develop and maintain healthy and loving relationships with others and ourselves.  The ONLY requirement for membership is this desire.  This supportive program allowed me to become very honest with myself about my life, my choices and my codependent behavior that enabled others to overstep my boundaries and treat me the way I taught them to.  We teach others how to treat us.  Ultimately, helping me point the finger to the one person who could change my life, myself.     With this knowledge, I went from blaming those around me to seeing that I was generating these experiences in my life.  CoDA gave me the tools to see myself and my life clearly. The courage to look and face the Truth, and prepared me for my next steps, which include a daily prayer and meditation practice of cultivating self-love and acceptance.  CoDA changed my life and I will remain eternally grateful.  I am a much different person than I was 6 years ago thanks to CoDA!  I am excited to discuss this awesome topic on November 4^th with Rev Deborah Phillips and hope to contribute to your life in some way.

Discovering Spirit Within, with Rev. Deborah Phillips is brought to you by Spiritual Life Center. Spiritual Life Center is an Interfaith, Unity community located in Sacramento, California for spiritual seekers and life explorers. We honor the many paths to God and support people of all faiths in learning and applying positive spiritual principles in their daily lives. Follow SLC on Instagram @spiritual.life.center and on Facebook at facebook.com/SpiritualLifeCenter.