Step by Step
Friday, March 15, 2013
Today, attitude may be the second most important determinant of my sobriety and recovery - second only to absolute abstinence. And attitude cannot begin and end with taking on an attitude of gratitude: if I am uncertain, even afraid, of a life without alcohol, it doesn't parallel the certainty of a life WITH alcohol; if a Fourth is a painful revelation, the pain pales to what we endure by continuing to drink; if sobriety is "boring," we need only ask ourselves if we really want the drama and trauma of the county jail drunk tank, a court sentence, fines and fees, community service, the threat of being fired or the substantial risk of having family and friends walk away; and if sobriety is "lonely," we need only to go to a meeting or call a sponsor or someone in recovery instead of falling back into the desolation of drinking alone. But if we can say the growing pains of sobriety come nowhere near the pains of drinking, if we can be honest and confront the character defects we find in our Fourth, if we can commit to recovery more than abstinence and if we nurture the 12th-Step mandate to help others who still hurt, we can say we have an attitude that has grown into a thirst for recovery. Today, I choose an attitude of recovery and, with God's blessing, every day that follows this one. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Today, attitude may be the second most important determinant of my sobriety and recovery - second only to absolute abstinence. And attitude cannot begin and end with taking on an attitude of gratitude: if I am uncertain, even afraid, of a life without alcohol, it doesn't parallel the certainty of a life WITH alcohol; if a Fourth is a painful revelation, the pain pales to what we endure by continuing to drink; if sobriety is "boring," we need only ask ourselves if we really want the drama and trauma of the county jail drunk tank, a court sentence, fines and fees, community service, the threat of being fired or the substantial risk of having family and friends walk away; and if sobriety is "lonely," we need only to go to a meeting or call a sponsor or someone in recovery instead of falling back into the desolation of drinking alone. But if we can say the growing pains of sobriety come nowhere near the pains of drinking, if we can be honest and confront the character defects we find in our Fourth, if we can commit to recovery more than abstinence and if we nurture the 12th-Step mandate to help others who still hurt, we can say we have an attitude that has grown into a thirst for recovery. Today, I choose an attitude of recovery and, with God's blessing, every day that follows this one. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2013
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