Recovery is a Journey

"Let the Dance Begin"

After a while, we start to feel better. After a while, we may work a 4th and a 5th step. You know, we made a "fearless moral inventory." It takes a lot a courage, trust, honesty, and openness to choose recovery, to choose to look problems square in the eyes and deal with them without using, without cheating, without dancing around with excuses and complaints, blaming the world for our problems, for our shortcomings.

This recovery stuff doesn't just begin and end. This recovery stuff continues. It becomes a new way to live life. To maintain our recovery means continuing to express the guts we used to first work that 4th step. It means continuing to be honest and open about who and what we are, about our abilities and our challenges. We don't evade responsibility for our actions and we graciously accept the affirmations we receive for a job well done. We become willing and ready to think of ourselves as having more in our inventory than the pain and the refuse. Our inventory now also consists of the good stuff, our abilities, our strengths. Being fully honest, we are now fully aware that the time for excuses has passed.

So, the question is: What have you been dancing around? We benefit in our recovery in proportion to the amount of honesty we bring to lives. Think about the different areas of your life right now. Think about your job, relationships, health, values, spiritual life, character traits, etc. Now, write down the issues you have dancing around, avoiding, or just plain lying about. Next, make an appointment to see your counselor and/or your sponsor to start solving of the problem.

Alcoholism in the Workplace

A recent study reveals the percentages of abusive alcohol use in the american work force.

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Lessons In Life

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, don't.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously.
5. Cry with someone, it's more healing than crying alone.
6. It's O.K. to get angry at God…He can take it.
7. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
8. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up your present.
9. It's O.K. to let your children see you cry.
10. Don't compare your life with others. You have no idea what their journey is about.
11. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special!
12. Be eccentric now…wear purple.

Choices

Once we choose recovery, a vast new world of other choices begins to unfold. When we were caught in obession and compulsion, we had relatively few choices…or at least it felt that way. With recovery comes more time, freedom, and energy for relationships, hobbies, family, health, and just plain fun.

This sense of freedom grows until we feel the anxiety of making more and more choices. With freedom comes joy and responsibility. Now, there is way too much time. Now, more people, including family, really do want to be around you, really do want to spend time together. Now, you have the energy and desire to get some more education or training…which school? Now, there is time to be quiet and listen to the inner voice saying, "you're O.K.!"

Roadblocks to Recovery

1. Defiance: Just not accepting the reality of powerlessness over the addiction. Characterized by denial, rebellion, rationalization, and "I want what I want, and I want it now!"
2. Compliance: This half-hearted acceptance. Characterized by submission, resignation, yielding, concessions, etc. You say "Yes" to recovery on the outside, but you are saying "No" to recovery on the inside. You just don't openly resist anymore.

The consequences of the above roadblocks are feeling guilty and shameful all the time. And if that's not enough, you feel dishonest and tense almost continually. There is a strong sense of self-pity. So, what do you do?

Decide to become totally comitted to your recovery. Have an active, not a passive or reactive attitude toward recovery. Why not have a talk with your counselor.