JFT November 22 - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

REZ · 11-22-2009, 04:50 AM

November 22

Foundation first

“As we begin to function in society, our creative freedom helps us sort our priorities and do the basic things first.”

Basic Text, p. 83

––––=––––

No sooner do we get clean than some of us begin putting other priorities ahead of our recovery. Careers, families, relationships—all these are part of the life we find once we’ve laid the foundation of our recovery. But we can’t build a stable life for ourselves before we do the hard, basic work of laying our recovery foundation. Like a house built on sand, such a life will be shaky, at best.

Before we begin putting all our attention to rebuilding the detailed framework of our lives, we need to lay our foundation. We acknowledge, first, that we don’t yet have a foundation, that our addiction has made our lives utterly unmanageable. Then, with the help of our sponsor and our home group, we find faith in a Power strong enough to help us prepare the ground of our new lives. We clear the wreckage from the site upon which we will build our future. Finally, we develop a deep, working familiarity with the principles we will practice in our continuing affairs: honest self-examination, reliance upon our Higher Power’s guidance and strength, and service to others.

Once our foundation is prepared, then we can go full steam ahead to put our new lives together. But first we must ask ourselves if our foundation is secure, for without our foundation, nothing we build can stand for long.

––––=––––

Just for today: I will take care to lay a secure foundation for my recovery. Upon such a foundation, I can build for a lifetime in recovery.

REZ · 11-22-2009, 04:56 AM

I have known quite a few addicts who, after being clean only a little while, want to jump into a relationship. They cut back on meetings and step work and obsess on the relationship. The next thing you know, they're using again. It is so important to keep build a firm foundation for recovery before getting heavily involved in other things. First things first.

Threshold · 11-22-2009, 01:51 PM

I did that when I first got into recovery in April...I hope I know better this time...That lesson, which I learned the hard way, was provided by none other than a recovering addict with three and a half years clean time under his belt...oh, he also had a long term girlfriend and some other side action besides me. Yeah, I thought it was love....That man talked, ate, drank, breathed the 12 steps, but I guess he believed in the 13th step too...
I don't need to get laid more than I need to stay clean.

He doesn't stay in touch so I don't know if the relationship had any effect on HIS recovery. I relapsed, big time and several times worse than I ever had before...but somehow, I ended up where I need to be. In spite of my reactions to the relationship some of what he'd said to me regarding NA stuck in my head and sounded damn good. I'm recovering in NA now. Ironic...huh?

I like this...

Real
Exciting
Love
Affair
Turns
Into
Outrageous
Nightmare
Sobriety
Hangs
In
Peril

REZ · 11-22-2009, 04:51 PM

Wow! I'm glad you made it through this and are clean today.

11-22-2009, 04:50 AM	#1 (permalink)
REZ Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 2,274	JFT November 22 November 22 Foundation first “As we begin to function in society, our creative freedom helps us sort our priorities and do the basic things first.” Basic Text, p. 83 ––––=–––– No sooner do we get clean than some of us begin putting other priorities ahead of our recovery. Careers, families, relationships—all these are part of the life we find once we’ve laid the foundation of our recovery. But we can’t build a stable life for ourselves before we do the hard, basic work of laying our recovery foundation. Like a house built on sand, such a life will be shaky, at best. Before we begin putting all our attention to rebuilding the detailed framework of our lives, we need to lay our foundation. We acknowledge, first, that we don’t yet have a foundation, that our addiction has made our lives utterly unmanageable. Then, with the help of our sponsor and our home group, we find faith in a Power strong enough to help us prepare the ground of our new lives. We clear the wreckage from the site upon which we will build our future. Finally, we develop a deep, working familiarity with the principles we will practice in our continuing affairs: honest self-examination, reliance upon our Higher Power’s guidance and strength, and service to others. Once our foundation is prepared, then we can go full steam ahead to put our new lives together. But first we must ask ourselves if our foundation is secure, for without our foundation, nothing we build can stand for long. ––––=–––– Just for today: I will take care to lay a secure foundation for my recovery. Upon such a foundation, I can build for a lifetime in recovery.

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11-22-2009, 04:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
REZ Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 2,274	I have known quite a few addicts who, after being clean only a little while, want to jump into a relationship. They cut back on meetings and step work and obsess on the relationship. The next thing you know, they're using again. It is so important to keep build a firm foundation for recovery before getting heavily involved in other things. First things first.

11-22-2009, 01:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
Threshold Grateful but still smarting Join Date: May 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 901 Blog Entries: 8	I did that when I first got into recovery in April...I hope I know better this time...That lesson, which I learned the hard way, was provided by none other than a recovering addict with three and a half years clean time under his belt...oh, he also had a long term girlfriend and some other side action besides me. Yeah, I thought it was love....That man talked, ate, drank, breathed the 12 steps, but I guess he believed in the 13th step too... I don't need to get laid more than I need to stay clean. He doesn't stay in touch so I don't know if the relationship had any effect on HIS recovery. I relapsed, big time and several times worse than I ever had before...but somehow, I ended up where I need to be. In spite of my reactions to the relationship some of what he'd said to me regarding NA stuck in my head and sounded damn good. I'm recovering in NA now. Ironic...huh? I like this... Real Exciting Love Affair Turns Into Outrageous Nightmare Sobriety Hangs In Peril

11-22-2009, 04:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
REZ Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 2,274	Wow! I'm glad you made it through this and are clean today.

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