%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 20 0 R 22 0 R ] /Count 3 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 15 0 R /GS2 16 0 R /GS3 17 0 R /GS4 18 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 3.1.0 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250912013029+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250912013029+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1483 >> stream xWr6}Wl]Ts3&AI U 'SnB%OL;"E]sv\D"":ų[JsR,"KUFq)"m~\蹱?Noe"'+igiY U痊pg0͘D-|9N_/bMݱ(%ժG)W(Hrk/X>; "G{FEp{z}zc1삊8q=<$}^+rlw_< hyrA~nG͝^){A/k팽.Z5wĔb]Sg>)Ym郒~f0T$BP5rt_{ si MW!xx>_&x3'ewC^ ^!c9fw4)v&bDt x Ͳ+(Qj| NE0 )m+KT\qHff.O DkpMk̎%CONZ5"IMP|&v>u7GgǴHie@>*,6g>C6Փ|⟨B= 5FyJv+w>96E ՕDg^z'7[}lDdr#xt&FQ`M\dYSh@=M4f-c]W1IK\}S; b`UL8'zz{vǛ ɫÇ шV}l ZUmF 'KGѡe"+C:$ă0c'XOX(IgHB9 ۷쨄B)(Ӑ(m@vox+wwhCM 6(U,(W 4y|=^(Udvτ3b nۏ2}h<`!~᤬6D]P O<gǕ 2dE@hLONo~Nc0{4QZe {U'+c3ѢC J)# eA -E.sUq0v}^K0/1R_Z^2>^>;f[39yz㋯|BKD endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 21 0 R >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1944 >> stream xXݎߧeld;wI4(:( \ؕH(y>`_g(k-mol33g }qw;IO}s`y.i³j𧔥OWI| ]3J͜%v}{1Rr^feȡK۳OQ HX1g&5`բ;aqiشLԵ2YY0q8 I =Š;n"PDWtr;֊ ZE8 Y@){~&4ޜnњ-Y10ņY 6`3g2OgurI=$,)rD Gj#~l3Soџw/ gl/|u' UV'UPK2|1UЍd{Z{$;%jPN [8Zuc0ʏ0 }s~2G֌օ3K|9؈I ]<6e:IΒfi[ \14m#2v5"=1:;˒-ZqkMժ"᛼y0:I«!,GԻKk:ӽ-tNj)=\ kRvCOD˭';Y_ )N+BAP(HcPLv&UdK+I^Vb$ SO(7l"ZYzS*/duZK9HOf!lX#-:n+ `phҜI'Bf_:/ÉF!kGe!x>ɾ\_FQ4-?@53).q[dc DcSJKqFVV8,HpiN=\D"?ABI};zGOJ$hbN!rf:.P #/gtMx|4XKޠ"Fxsߣ蓷$!15TFJB[S:3G=( ]8v] >F+qf0AO 1o-mb9P[{Gs!FNGy $EP?#u'R9FлK[@w%/61(dKR RZAߵݖ;QXdbw}_zPveI`j<0 1^ o$yI0lS,1hEPNvGqȅbO*(oG߆⩣jtu5_vD)x|#:0^bT< hd?c7TC!|Ck ^=q^EsV]HǨ{T +Q[ yMi:x0wyoEx9PEDR ]521''C GUю 0x3r{mppvFt_8͹& <Xa }FW IA~4vL!1(y9>FƠ'np׭D 3i:}OsW(3rm?v>ph;q0FvK8;1H9РkOJWb/? Kho*;eY_,[Cnls;=e!^n{z,_4aEJJ^&W?wW7RF endstream endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 23 0 R >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 617 >> stream xmn0EYKIvwM(E]]PX"B.vƿۡ,F|]Krz|Nu Y Kn]o!/F&,ְzH!X?; ksR;ŏ@AzhrK_GÏ hգ\7y|D踠amoMʬH*GaG݆Q߄> QQc@K8-)9u6 R,A: h0AZoi{jp{m]jgkZcczts@e,2 \1j t{kDhn8M.9-NSM:/G `sTE*id@'[{F*iL=)gӹSl5jtC.MpTVBĝkFyPƼ--  +A3X<+s'Tj'2xm1+v/d\XWXNuU&_Wo_&vnNW7~>V͠ӏ2vRcCi;tiŲ|BZgg.)̾EYάde2幞Wijxqcv endstream endobj xref 0 24 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000408 00000 n 0000000437 00000 n 0000000586 00000 n 0000000689 00000 n 0000002245 00000 n 0000002352 00000 n 0000002460 00000 n 0000002570 00000 n 0000002683 00000 n 0000002799 00000 n 0000002828 00000 n 0000002938 00000 n 0000002995 00000 n 0000003052 00000 n 0000003111 00000 n 0000003170 00000 n 0000003199 00000 n 0000003304 00000 n 0000005322 00000 n 0000005427 00000 n trailer << /Size 24 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<3bcb57dcea6cc7ceac8602611aaf5422><3bcb57dcea6cc7ceac8602611aaf5422>] >> startxref 6117 %%EOF On the Corner | Caring Magazine
Read Caring Magazine Volume 29

Vol. #29

Hope in Action

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

On the Corner

January 16, 2008
4 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

Doin’ a “geography”

by Robert Docter, Editor-In-Chief –

I love New Year’s resolutions.

In fact, I love them so much I often make the same ones every year. For some reason, I don’t seem to love keeping New Year’s resolutions.

That’s a problem.

You see, I seem unwilling to change my worldview, my interpersonal style, the values that guide my choices. Therefore, while I might have sought change in relation to my behavior, the New Year’s resolution method does not address the fundamentals necessary to stimulate any profound change in me. I have not accepted that I need a new lifestyle.

I still procrastinate.

So—I get out my handy-dandy notebook and start to write “I will leave for appointments earlier” 500 times. But this seems very time consuming, so I put that notebook away and go to my other notebook—my computer. It goes much faster that way. I only have to press the copy button. I need to perceive the disrespect I show others in my selfish tardiness.

I still drive too fast.

Gotta fix that. I’ll look at my speedometer more. Sure! I won’t check my rear view mirror as much. Sure! I’ll listen to the plaintive pleas from passengers—mainly Diane. Her, I will hear and respect in everyway—at least for a few miles. Maybe a good stiff ticket will get my attention. Probably only for a little while. I need to understand that my speed places countless others in serious jeopardy.

I still eat too much red meat.

I suppose I like to chew, and it tastes terrific—especially medium rare. I know—I won’t go to any more steak houses. Not enough. I need to gain more insight concerning my own health.

Etc. etc.—and then some.

The term “doin’ a geography” entered the vernacular through addiction recovery. I suppose many alcoholics and addicts have tried to deal with their addiction simply by moving from one city to another, or one location to another, or one job to another, or one wife to another, etc. etc, and then some. It doesn’t work in recovery, and it doesn’t work anywhere else—unless the individual works to change attitudes, beliefs, identity and work ethic, and shifts an entire cultural orientation.

I guess addicts and the rest of us believe that those parts of our lives we hope to change with a resolution are caused by events external to us. What we don’t realize is that the problem is internal. External solutions can’t solve internal problems. We carry the problem with us wherever we go. If you’re going to deal with a habitual problem, your remedy has to be more profound—deeper. You must explore the roots of your thought patterns.

That’s why the 12-step program begins first with awareness that one has a problem. I suspect I believe I don’t have a procrastination problem. I seem to be able to “get by” delaying right up to the last minute. If I didn’t have deadlines I’d never get these columns written. I need to deal with my assumption that “getting by” is good enough. I haven’t done the first step, yet I don’t have full awareness that I even have these problems.

However …

My awareness has elevated since talking to you. I think I’ve got a start on dealing with my resolution issues because increased awareness happens internally.

I’m pretty sure that sin works that way. Take the liar, for instance. Liars believe that protection of their fragile self is more important than the truth. We try to inhibit lying with rules—like “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” We’ve got a bunch of rules to run society, and they are important. BUT…they are externals. We know that something is “wrong,” but other motives seem more powerful.

Often, lying works—people tend not to check up on testimony—or explanations about conduct unbecoming. Therefore, the liar is positively reinforced while hiding behind the false protection of an untruth. Until the liar increases awareness of what these reinforcers are leading him or her toward, change won’t happen.

Rules will not save us.

They give us a list of do’s and don’ts. They won’t put us on the right track to recovery.

We must teach children the rules. They need specific instruction on what to do and what not to do. Adults are not children. Their potential for moral development is much greater. Adults need to understand why a rule exists and why a person might have a desire to ignore it.

Jesus had this point of view.

When discussing the law he made it clear that the law, the rules, were external to us—that we had to deal with the internal causes—the thought patterns, the feelings, the craving, the habits. Adultery, he said, is a function of the mind—of preliminary thought triggers that result in behavior that becomes habitual. Behavior is a product of thought—unless it’s a reflex, and reflexes are stimulated by old brain material designed to facilitate our survival.

So—be concerned about your resolutions—but don’t look on the surface of the do’s and don’ts. Get inside. Figure out the internals that make the resolution important to you.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like