Joseph Ranseth

September is National Recovery Month. One of the biggest obstacles to recovery, however, is the stigma of “once an addict, always an addict.” Who would want to admit to struggling with any sort of addiction if it means a lifelong label of “addict?” I applaud the courage of those who do... but I also empathize with the countless others who struggle with feelings of inadequacy, pain, discomfort, emptiness, heartbreak or trauma, and try to find relief however they can. The shame of the label “addict” causes many to suffer silently or try to navigate their life challenges without additional support, whether from loved ones or skilled professionals. That’s why I’m a big fan of the #fshame movement my friend @dradijaffe and his team over at @igntd.me have created to remove shame from the recovery process. By participating in the #onceanaddict campaign they’ve launched, you can help relieve the stigma of addiction and help people realize that once an addict does not mean always an addict. What we think separates us from others is far too often simply an illusion, and labels are not only misleading by they often fail to show that the difference between people is not in nature, but simply by degree. Very often there is no difference at all. We are all human. Divine in nature, illimitable in worth. Our struggles do not need to define us, but instead can serve to refine us. Want to change a life? Share a struggle - openly and vulnerably - or open up about what stirs feelings of shame for you, and notice not only how much lighter you feel, but the door that opens for true connection when the person you’ve shared with feels safe enough to reciprocate. Let’s let go of shame, and release the false belief that #onceanaddictalwaysanaddict. If inspired, make your own poster and share with the #onceanaddict hastag. You can find a poster template on @igntd.me page. I challenge five friends to join: @earthandhide @coachninja @brycegonorth @kristi.a.watson @christina.henley.2019 IF you’d rather opt-out, you’re welcome to donate $5 to @namicommunicate #addiction #addictionrecovery #recoverymonth #recoverymonth2020 #addictionawareness #addictionquotes #shame https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxVPyKAMGB/?igshid=ox4cl2tamgtw

Grandpa came by today to make some deposits in the relationship account. The quality of our relationships are fully dependent on the deposits we make into the “bank account” of those same relationships. As one early mentor said to me: “You can’t make quality time. Quality time is the product of quantity time.” We have to show up and continually make deposits into the relationships that we want to keep. Deposits of time, vulnerability, emotional support, courageous sharing, authentic connection, trust, encouragement, etc. While we are all deserving of love, simply for being human, we aren’t entitled to receive anything that we don’t also give. Nowhere is this more true than in relationships. If you want love, support, encouragement, trust, authenticity, vulnerability - all withdrawals from the relationship account - we must continually be making deposits of the same. The more relationship equity we build, the more fulfilling our lives become, and the more support will be available to us in those times that have very little give. We all have emotional rainy days, save up in your relationship accounts to be ready! https://www.instagram.com/p/CEs-60UAxPB/?igshid=1cw8l9jjm443h

I’m trying my hardest to be just like my bestie @earthandhide. How am I doing? #greybeard #covidhair https://www.instagram.com/p/CELLgNrgb84/?igshid=1gzz3df02ta34

Took myself on a hike for Father’s Day. I love this place. #fathersday #hiking #nature (at Birds Hill Provincial Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBt5u-kgDr6/?igshid=x48mhvbd60zh

My daughter took this picture of Enoch working on his scorpion pose. Tomorrow is his birthday. Yes, those are my slippers. #yogakids #dadlife #yogakidsfun #dadlife❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CBELVOKgSXX/?igshid=nruhzn10i8if

#blackouttuesday 🤍 If we truly want to see change, let us all truly allow ourselves to be changed. #bethechange #one #love https://www.instagram.com/p/CA9aMMHgIAE/?igshid=5tbojdxi0l1s

In my group program, we refer to this as Element Zero. Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha; they all taught it, and, more importantly, lived it. They modeled it. Are you willing to lose yourself in service to others? And not just lose yourself, as in “get so busy that you lose track of yourself”, but rather to surrender every personal desire for gain. To surrender your personal will to divine will. To be willing to give - or perhaps even more challenging, live - your entire life without thought for yourself, but rather to be in service to the greater good? To transcend the need to be right, to make other wrong, or to be offended, and instead sow love, lift others up, and to be the change we want to see in the world. To turn your message into a movement, you need to become Zero. Go ahead, start a movement. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_l1s0LgjTu/?igshid=1g4ec38czcozy

On this day, over 70 years ago, Jackie Robinson became the first black player to enter Major League Baseball and started a movement that elevated the consciousness of the entire planet. Yes, he was an amazing athlete, but what is truly inspiring about Jackie Robinson is how he harnessed true power and transformed peoples minds and hearts. He followed so many of the principles in the blueprint for starting a movement - as modeled by leaders such as Gandhi and Dr. King - that are often missed by people who are trying to change the world today. He’s a model worth studying. For more information on the difference between change and transformation, and the critical ingredients to launching a movement that transforms lives and elevates consciousness, download the Movement Maker Manifesto on my site. (Link in bio.) Thank you Jackie Robinson for your courage, service, and leadership. We are blessed that you were here. #jackierobinson #transformation #quotes #quotestoliveby #movement #baseball #baseballlife⚾️ https://www.instagram.com/p/B_BIuCKAfZa/?igshid=11oeh3uux6697

My face, my kids, my dance moves. My top 9 Instagram posts from 2019. 2020 plans include more photoshoots on the dance floor, with the kids. 🤷🏻‍♂️ #topnine2019 #bestnine2019 https://www.instagram.com/p/B6s-Lm6gXet/?igshid=et4tqj4axmyu

Today is my birthday. This is what 41 looks like. It’s been a tough year. At various points throughout the past 365 days, I’ve felt incredibly pleased with what I’ve achieved and contributed, but most days I’ve simply just been grateful to be alive. Recovering from a TBI has proven to be a long, arduous journey. Equal measure of trying and exhausting, with a sullied gratitude for all the lessons it’s been teaching me. Going back to the basic wisdom, and learning how to apply it in my life in the recovery process. Finding the healing movements, and dissecting them with precision so the insights can be saved for later and shared with others. As the last year closes, and a new one begins, I’m ready to let some things go. I’m ready to say goodbye, have a ritual funeral for those parts of my life that aren’t coming with my into the year ahead, and to open my arms to what life would bring my way so that I can fill the measure of my purpose here, and hopefully have a meaningful contribution while I’m allowed to breathe. Embracing the refiners fire, and the year ahead. Let’s celebrate! 🥂🎉 #birthday #birthdayboy #startingover https://www.instagram.com/p/B6okNa5g_Ve/?igshid=28uy2jvii5z7

I have a total of two “affirmations” in my mental health toolbox. One of them is: “I don’t get older, I just get better.” This is something I truly believe. And I work to align my actions to show my reverence for this truth. Almost 20 years ago an idea was planted in my mind that if you commit just a small amount of time each day to anchoring habits that make you better, progress is not only inevitable, but it compounds at a staggering rate. Little things like taking the stairs, drinking veggie smoothies, reading ancient wisdom, meditating - daily - have added up. I didn’t see the benefits right away, but 20 years later I am humbled and profoundly grateful for the wisdom in that idea planted by a stranger. I still feel like a novice at life, which makes me excited for the next 41 years. But I also don’t look back at see my best years behind me. I like who I am today - in nearly every facet of my life - better than at any other period in my life. I count that a privilege and a blessing. Here’s to a great 41 years, and another amazing 41 to come! 🎉 https://www.instagram.com/p/B6m6_1HA-oS/?igshid=1d97z71ikh2e2

Children inspire hope. They remind us to live present, laugh deeply, and find joy in the simple things in life. They also have the power to inspire regret. They remind us of our limitations and shortcomings, and cause us to see where we chose to direct our energy and the possibilities lost inherent in any choice. (Saying yes to something implies you are saying no to everything else.) Regret is impossible to avoid, but what you can do is choose your regrets wisely, love them, make peace with them, and introduce them to your present joys. Once they become friends, the joys will become sweeter, and you’ll see the regrets as an Illuminating gift, not a loss. ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/B5wAORCgoNf/?igshid=14dn1aqt4fko6

None of us are alone, we are all in this thing called life together. Asking for help is an acknowledgment of the truth of our interconnectedness. There is something divine about asking for support from those around us, and it often sparks the divinity within when presented with an opportunity to support someone else in need. It is a beautiful act of faith - on both the giving and receiving end - to participate in co-creating through supporting each other in being fully expressed in life. Asking for help can humble us, which we often need, and providing help can be an opportunity to test our humility be avoiding the trap of believing that asking for support is an act of weakness. When done in faith, the act of cooperation can be a divine act. Ask for help when it’s hard. Give help when it’s hard. Both forge character, and bring you closer to a full expression of your divine nature. #wisdom #wisdomquotes #truth #truthquotes https://www.instagram.com/p/B5gmOdkAl8A/?igshid=xrwkdmm52tsg

Stay grounded. It’s easier to weather the storm when your roots are firmly planted. https://www.instagram.com/p/B5RsKMogsIy/?igshid=f2sq0g8u8zdt

The darker it gets, the easier it becomes to find the light thats buried deepest. Keep looking. #gowithinorgowithout https://www.instagram.com/p/B5HXjFjg9rT/?igshid=10rztwedqvffq

New profile pic? https://www.instagram.com/p/B5CVmIQAtwJ/?igshid=hkw1e6tim0dq

Compassion: understanding that the motives behind the actions that you’re judging may not be what you think they are. https://www.instagram.com/p/B47-HdDAv7Y/?igshid=vynjplmdm8fz