Good article. I think that many of us (especially on a recovery board) are going to find that we dwell on the negatives too often. I do my best to also share some happy and successful stories here, but sometimes I feel that it comes off as gloating. That said, I think we could use more "whistling in the dark" in our lives.
I think that as recovering alcoholics, we're all used to a high level of stress. Police visits. Hospital visits. Slamming doors. Heck, even my slow days as a drinker were considered eventful. Those around us, particularly our family and friends, might also have adjusted to a higher stress level when dealing with us. On top of that, we are no longer thick-skinned, we are worn down and raw and sensitive as hell. We have admitted (in one way or another) that we've lost the game with alcohol. We've tapped out. With all that in mind, I'm not surprised we're always anxious that the roof will cave in.
I was reading some psychology information recently about how simply changing your point of view and using different language goes a long way. For example: instead of saying we've "lost the game" with alcohol, we should say we've "figured it out" and have come out on top. That said, a lot of the language in the recovery community sternly warns against anyone feeling TOO proud of themselves. God forbid we become a little less humble about our accomplishments....
Hope I didn't go too far off track!