When getting sober, the first sale was “Hey Steve… you never have to drink again if you don’t want to”… then someone said, “one day at a time”. Then someone said, “the same man will drink again”. “Keep coming back… It works if you work it.” “You can’t keep it if you don’t give it away”…
So many slogans.
So many important truths.
None of them was the key insight into recovery.
The key insight was that drinking was just a symptom of my issue. My issue was I was unable to live life on life’s terms. I couldn’t cope in a healthy fashion so I self-medicated. To fix the core issue, I had to follow a series of steps to fundamentally transform how I viewed problem solving. It began with realizing I was powerless over people, places and things and had to remember it was none of my business what other people thought of me.
My job was to keep my side of the street clean so I could live life on life’s terms.
But that required I understood that seeking revenge… chasing my butthurt… was not my primary purpose. Mine was to try to make amends to those whom I had personally harmed… but that also didn’t mean accepting unacceptable behavior.
So learning how to see through bullshit and be in relentless pursuit of truth was the life skill that has kept me from a bar stool for over 10 years.
Being a truth teller to oneself and to those depending on you is a solid way to stay on the right path.
It’s also a key way to evaluate the problems in society and economics.
It is the life skill… taking personal inventory… reflecting. Meditating. Growing spiritually… helping others… getting outside your own issues and helping another still struggling… passing on the message … yeah… that is life-saving and humbling.
That is the key takeaway… you can only change you.
#EachOneTeachOne #ToThineOwnSelfBeTrue #StayHumble #OneDayAtATime