I ran across this quote the other day and it got me thinking about how it applies directly to my recovery.
The fact is, that to do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can. Sydney Smith
Until I was miserable enough to have the willingness to jump in with both feet and try something different (unknown) I was not able to stay sober. All the times I tried to stop drinking, swearing off because I had once again done something embarrassing or stupid, or my life was spinning out of control; I only tested the waters with my toes, maybe got in up to my waist but kept on hand on the bank. I did not jump in trusting that it had to be better than the misery I was in.
Today I am grateful for finally arriving at that place where I could no longer face the misery of living with alcohol but did not know how to live without it. Only then was I ready to jump into the middle a program of recovery with both feet. I have found that although there have been rough spots in sobriety my worst day in sobriety still beats my best day drunk.