11/04/2022
We want to apologize for a huge mistake. The article for Living Free/Stay stopped was omitted from the November/December issue of Pahrump Life Magazine. The following is the article that should have been included. We hope you will read and share. Our apologies to Shelly.
Living Free Health – The Journey So Far
Hang on, Little Tomato!
2022 is winding down, and it’s been quite a year. All years have their positives and negatives, though I don’t think many of us could have predicted the challenges we’ve had to face this trip around the sun. As we move into 2023, one expression comes to mind, something I find fun to say and to think about: “Hang on, little tomato!”. Its origins are a Hunt’s ketchup ad campaign from 1964. With a little green tomato in view, the narrator says, “Hang on, little tomato; stay on the vine until fat and juicy”. The ad continues, “Just hang on, hang on to the vine, stay on, soon you’ll be divine.”1
The analogy ends there, as turning into ketchup may not be a pleasant process for our little green friend. However, I find the sentiment of hanging in there – through rain, wind, heat and cold, and whatever else is thrown at this little guy – fun, easy to remember, and inspirational.
In recovery, we are tested all of the time. World events, economic struggles, uncertainty, and a seemingly endless global pandemic threaten to consume our every waking minute. We also face personal hurdles that need to overcome even when others seem to be doing fine: relationship issues, unexpected expenses, dealing with loss including death, and other unhappy experiences that are simply part of life. I don’t think our green tomato ponders the world situation, or even relationships with other “vine-mates”. But we do. How do we deal with these things?
Coping with all the issues that are inherent in the human condition is tough on all of us. As we mature and learn, it’s important to remember that these are experiences, and not a state of being, and typically not permanent. But keeping those thoughts in mind is easier said than done for those in early recovery. An important and helpful strategy is to stay grounded during this period. Learn to identify the difference between a short-term setback (which can be overcome) versus the scenarios our brains often confabulate into catastrophic, dire and permanent terms. Your success in avoiding relapse and learning to “stay stopped” are highly dependent upon your ability to positively reframe negative events as hurdles over which one can climb or leap. The early days of learning to “stay stopped” (not use psychoactive substances like drugs and alcohol) can be challenging. Perseverance and tenacity go a long way toward getting us through these arduous times. “Hang on little tomato” is a rich analogy that conveys the message that patience is a virtue that often delivers “divine” results.
How can we find – or regain – happiness and joy in our lives? And what do happiness and joy in life look like?
Managing the Mid-Brain
Confidence and self-esteem are derived from developing internal strength, and the faith that we can weather any storm and row toward calm waters on the other side. These elements of optimism are necessary to deal with and manage our mid-brain’s natural response to adverse situations. Remember the mid-brain (survival instincts) reacts much more quickly than our “thinking” brain. Hence our natural tendency to panic and take a fight-or-flight response when faced with “trouble”.
Mid-brain responses have been useful throughout the ages, helping people preserve their lives and livelihoods when confronted with danger. But for people in recovery, the mid-brain has not only worked against them; it served to nurture addiction. In fact, the mid-brain is where addiction “lives”.
Balancing mid-brain reactions with cognitive abilities – thinking, reasoning and remembering – is the way to temper our reactive, mid-brain impulses.
• Thinking: “Have I been in situations where I felt hopeless before, and was the situation hopeless?” Probably not, as you are here and got through that.
• Reasoning: “This is bad, but I’m sure I – or people I know – can help me figure a way to overcome this.” Referencing past experiences in which you were able to navigate through a tough situation instills confidence that there is a process by which adversity can be overcome.
• Remembering: “I remember that when I was overwhelmed before, I sought help, and was able to move forward without falling backward.” Just remembering past situations in which you were successful empowers you to address the current dilemma and come out on the other side.
Optimism: Hope and Faith
Regardless of your spiritual belief system, maintaining hope, and having faith that “bumps in the road” are just part of being human, are bedrocks of success and happiness. You have the ability to dig into your inner self and find the resources to stay optimistic and hopeful, and to suppress the immediate response of your mid-brain. Humans have the capacity to nurture and enrich their cognitive abilities. And while it takes practice, in time life will be filled with fewer “crises” and with more opportunities to be empowered to overcome adverse situations.
Life is a blessed mix of “wins” and “losses”. Learn to elevate the experiences that give us joy, but that sometimes we take for granted. The first cup of coffee in the morning; seeing a smile on the face of a friend, child, or stranger. Walking outside and smelling the sage, seeing a sunrise or sunset, and observing majestic mountains and the vastness of the land that surrounds us. These are experiences that can bring joy and happiness on a daily basis. Embrace these simple, personal, poignant experiences. They are powerful in their ability to induce calm and contentment, and to help us to see what’s truly important and valuable in our lives.
Wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2023
If you were around in 2020 – and you’re around now in 2022 – you’ve no doubt invoked your own cognitive capabilities to overcome many of the challenges we have all faced over the last three years. Congratulations! Feel proud that you’ve called on your higher brain powers to get through what’s been thrown at you. Reflect upon the “wins” and learn from how you’ve succeeded.
Hang on, little tomatoes! Make your collective futures the best they can be.
If you have comments, or ideas for subsequent articles, please contact me at [email protected].
Shelley Poerio
Shelley Poerio is a Licensed Clinician, Master Addiction Counselor, Certified Fitness Trainer, and author of “Rebalancing the Addictive Mind: Beating Addiction with Exercise and Nutrition.” She is also the founder of Living Free Health & Fitness, a 501(c)(3) organization that helps people stay in recovery through counseling, education programs, lifestyle changes and sober living. Shelley lives in Pahrump, NV and has been in active recovery since September 5, 2001. For more information: www.livingfreehealth.org.
Casey Jones, MBA, is a consultant who has been a part of Living Free Health & Fitness since 2013. She has helped numerous emerging companies successfully achieve their goal to grow to better meet the needs of their customers and clients. Casey lives in Dallas, TX.
1. www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1964-ad-page-hang-little-tomato-hunts-955703663
