Abstinence is not-drinking and feeling bad about it.
Recovery is not-drinking and feeling good about it.
I used to use booze to feel OK with not dealing with life. Now I use life to feel OK about not dealing with booze. Abstinence alone does nothing to treat the underlying causes of alcohol-ISM. Mainly things like care, boredom and worry. Or that empty feeling when things are going mostly OK but never exciting.
Today I have learned somethings about treating my alcohol-ISM. I can passively not-drink one-arduous-day-at-a-time. Or I can actively project good karma that will eventually come back to me in the form of spiritual prosperity. By spiritual prosperity, I don't mean good or valuable "stuff". Rather I mean POMJSOP; Peace Of Mind, Joy & Sense Of Purpose. When Buddha said "Each is his own master", he was not talking about being the master of the universe - he was talking about being the master of our emotions.
"In this life - pain is inevitable - suffering is optional."
(Unknown author)
