Chapter 8: So In This Moment
Hi, I’m Michelle, founder of Frequency Freek, and we’re continuing through my book Figure It, Face It, Fix It, a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach to addiction and recovery.
At this point in the program, we move into the final three phrases of the Choice Process.
These are called the declarative phrases.
Meaning: they are statements of intention. They are conscious decisions. They are commitments we make to ourselves in real time.
Unlike the truth statements we explored earlier, these phrases are about action—what we choose to do with awareness.
The phrase we focus on in this chapter is:
“So in this moment.”
This may sound simple, but it carries a lot of depth.
“So in this moment” is the bridge between awareness and action.
It is the point where internal conflict becomes a conscious decision.
Let’s break this down.
Every choice is created when two things meet:
An urge… and an opportunity.
Without an urge, there is no internal pull.
Without an opportunity, there is no decision point.
But when both are present at the same time, a choice is born.
That is what “this moment” represents.
It is the intersection where awareness meets behavior.
In that moment, you are no longer in theory—you are in decision.
You are either going to follow the familiar pattern, or you are going to choose something different.
This is where recovery becomes real.
Not in reflection.
Not in hindsight.
But right here, in the present moment.
“So in this moment” is also where we begin to recognize something very important: the internal voice of what I call the “junky mind.”
The junky mind is the part of us that generates justifications, rationalizations, and emotional arguments for returning to old patterns.
It sounds like:
“Just this once won’t matter.”
“You’ve been doing so well, you deserve it.”
“No one will know.”
“You can start over tomorrow.”
These thoughts can feel convincing because they often mimic our own voice.
But part of this work is learning to separate from that voice—to recognize it as a pattern, not a truth.
When we externalize it, we can begin to observe it instead of automatically obeying it.
Some people even name it or visualize it as a separate character. Not because it is “other,” but because creating distance helps create awareness.
For me, I often describe it as a voice trying to negotiate in real time, pulling me out of clarity and into impulse.
Once we can see it, we are no longer fully identified with it.
And that creates space.
Space is where choice lives.
The junky mind also has two common strategies:
It pulls us into the future, where anxiety lives.
Or it pulls us into the past, where regret, anger, or resentment live.
Both states disconnect us from the present moment.
And when we are disconnected from the present moment, we are more likely to react rather than choose.
Because anxiety, stress, and emotional overwhelm often become triggers for old coping mechanisms.
This is not a coincidence—it is a pattern.
The mind tries to escape discomfort, and old behaviors offer temporary relief.
But recovery is not about escaping the moment.
It is about staying present within it.
“So in this moment” brings us back to center.
It reminds us that life only ever happens here.
Not in what happened yesterday.
Not in what might happen tomorrow.
But in what is happening right now.
And in this moment, we get to choose.
Part of learning to live in the moment is also learning how to be with whatever shows up emotionally.
Not just the pleasant experiences—sunsets, joy, connection, and ease—but also discomfort.
Stress.
Anger.
Loneliness.
Anxiety.
Boredom.
Grief.
These emotions are not problems to escape.
They are signals.
Like dashboard lights in a car, they are designed to tell us something.
If the check engine light comes on, it is not there to punish us—it is there to inform us.
Emotions work the same way.
Anger may be pointing toward a boundary that needs to be addressed.
Loneliness may be pointing toward a need for connection.
Anxiety may be pointing toward an overextended system or distorted thinking.
Stress may be pointing toward imbalance or overload.
When we use substances or compulsive behaviors to numb these signals, we don’t actually resolve them—we silence them temporarily.
And in doing so, we lose the opportunity to understand what our internal system is trying to communicate.
“So in this moment” is the practice of staying with that awareness.
It is choosing presence over escape.
Awareness over avoidance.
Choice over reaction.
This is where real recovery begins to stabilize.
Because when you can stay in the moment without abandoning yourself, you no longer need to run from what you feel.
You can listen to it.
You can understand it.
And then you can respond to it consciously.
So when we bring the phrase together in full context, it becomes:
I want to use.
I can use.
However, once and it’s over.
So in this moment, I choose to accept temporary discomfort so I can get my benefits.
This is the structure we are building.
And this is the moment where choice becomes real.
In the next chapter, we bring it all together with the final phrase of the process.