Choose Again Society
  • EVENTS
  • COSTA RICA RETREATS
    • Costa Rica Workshops
    • About El Cielo
    • El Cielo Residency
  • FRANCE WORKSHOPS
    • France Workshops 2023
    • About Les Labadous
  • COURSES
    • Half-day introductory Workshop
    • Practicing ACIM with Dawn Green
    • Mastering the Six Steps
  • Circles
  • Counselling
  • ABOUT
    • Diederik Wolsak with Dr. Gabor Maté
    • The Six Steps Approach
    • The Book
    • Our Staff
    • Testimonials
    • Donate
    • Videos
    • Library
    • Affiliations
    • Independent Evaluation
    • Blog
  • Contact

Choose Again Blog

Subscribe to our quarterly Newsletter here

Staff Profile - Andy Burt

6/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
​My work with Choose Again began three years ago in April of 2012. I arrived at the center filled with fear, feeling defeated by life, crippled with old habits and generally miserable. Mine was a case of all or nothing, I had to find a better way of thinking and being or there was not much point in going on.
 
I had spent 25 years desperately seeking fulfillment in external things, drugs and alcohol, food, money, relationships – everything to try and fill up a kind of dull empty, “missing” feeling. I treated everyone in my life as though it was their responsibility to make me happy, 

which never worked of course. And I was not very grateful for anything, though I had so many things to be grateful for.
 
By the time my brother killed himself for these same reasons I was already exhausted and near the end.  I was exhausted from pretending that things were going to change, but doing nothing to make that happen. Every day the same routine, guilt, regret, self-loathing, self-medicating. And now I had a great alibi… people will generally let you get away with a lot more self destruction when you’ve just lost a relative. So I used that tragedy for as long as I could get away with it. 
 
Finally I work up one morning and knew that either something had to change that day, or it was all going to end that day. I made the call to the center and bought a ticket. This decision saved my life. It is as simple as that.
 
Since being at Choose Again I have learned to stop blaming people and circumstances past and present. It’s a terrible and unnecessary burden to haul around ones resentments for so long. Though I cherished my special story of being a helpless victim, it nearly cost me my life, and all for the sake of defending some unhappy character I had created by clinging on to guilt and blame.
 
Now a sense of peace and contentment rules instead of fear and anger. All that guilt and blame got replaced with gratitude for the lessons that were being offered and are being offered every day. My life now has very, very little drama or struggle because of this. Being happy is the norm, not the rare exception. And I don’t need to struggle or complain or find fault or be right about everything all the time now. Which is a tremendous relief, for everyone.
 
As for Choose Again, I have seen hundreds of people come through this place and transform some critical aspect of their identity that was bringing them down. For some this has meant a little more light and happiness in their lives, for many others it has meant and entirely new way of life, where applying the work we do in all things yields the natural result it has to offer – authentic peace and contentment.
 
Thank you, I look forward to seeing you.  Come for a visit!
 
Much love,
Andy Burt
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories & Authors

    All
    Author - Andrew Burt
    Author Anne Andrew
    Author - Anne Andrew
    Author - Dave Vass
    Author - Dawn Green
    Author Diederik Wolsak
    Author - Diederik Wolsak
    Author - Elaine Clark
    Author - Floris Odding
    Author - Gad Sprukt
    Client Perspectives
    Diet & Health
    Family
    Forgiveness
    Gratitude
    Intensive Retreat In Costa Rica
    International Workshops
    Meditation
    Parenting
    Practical Tips
    Recipes
    Relationships
    Sport
    Staff Feature
    The Six Steps To Freedom

    Archives

    November 2022
    April 2022
    December 2021
    December 2020
    May 2020
    October 2019
    July 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    July 2011
    June 2011
    March 2011
    December 2010

    RSS Feed

Read an independent evaluation of our program

Choose Again Evaluation.pdf
File Size: 476 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


QUESTIONS?

Contact Us

GET daily INSPIRATION TO YOUR EMAIL

Subscribe Now
SOCIAL MEDIA

Circles

COUNSELLING

RetreatS COSTA RICA 

Diederik's Book


SEARCH THE SITE

  • EVENTS
  • COSTA RICA RETREATS
    • Costa Rica Workshops
    • About El Cielo
    • El Cielo Residency
  • FRANCE WORKSHOPS
    • France Workshops 2023
    • About Les Labadous
  • COURSES
    • Half-day introductory Workshop
    • Practicing ACIM with Dawn Green
    • Mastering the Six Steps
  • Circles
  • Counselling
  • ABOUT
    • Diederik Wolsak with Dr. Gabor Maté
    • The Six Steps Approach
    • The Book
    • Our Staff
    • Testimonials
    • Donate
    • Videos
    • Library
    • Affiliations
    • Independent Evaluation
    • Blog
  • Contact