Challenging my beliefs was huge to my recovery. Our beliefs shape our perceptions of the world. People can believe some things so deeply that they are prepared to die for them, or in the case of addiction, die because of their beliefs. Like I believed that I couldn't just quit. I believed that I had to fix all these external or internal factors and then once everything was just right, I would magically be better. But at the same time I believed I was incapable of changing. Now I believe that they only way to quit is to quit and that it will be as hard as we make it for ourselves, based on our beliefs. If one believes it will be hard and a daily struggle and a deprivation, then that's what it will be. If one believes it will be easy and that it is the better path and embraces it as a gift, then that's how it will be. It's all in the mind and the stories we tell ourselves to relate to the world and our experiences. It's very easy to get caught in negative thought cycles, it can become like an addiction itself. Sometimes I have to catch myself and actively turn my thoughts around.
Memory is interesting too. I can look back a past experience and learn whole new lessons from it just by shifting my perceptions of my recollection.
Reminds me of this quote by Mark Twain,
“I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”