David that’s fantastic! You’ve got a heart that’s second to none! And that’s huge in life! I remember a counselor at my fourth treatment center at Maplegrove in May of 1992 brought me in his office! I was really messed up! I told him I tried AA and it doesn’t work for me! I tried everything and I keep on going back to drinking after a short stint at sobriety! I was hopeless!
He said if that’s all you ever did was stay sober from here on out for the rest of your life, you’d be a success! I said success? How would that make me a success? What about a good job, a good house, a family, money, a good car, good clothes, friends, a sane mind……you know, all those things that make you ok as a person?
He said well you can have those things too! But even if you didn’t get those things that would still make you a success if you stayed sober the rest of your life from here on out! He handed me a book called “Staying Sober; A guide to relapse prevention planning” by Terrence Gorski and merlene Miller!
And you know what? I bought into it! I told him I’m tired of living this way! I can’t go on like this! I’m going to give it a try again! I want to be a success! I read that book whole heartedly while in there and at home after I got out of there! I went back to AA meetings and this time got a sponsor and re-applied the steps! I now have 29 years of continuous sobriety! And many of those former things I said that defines success I also got along with sobriety as a result of staying sober! I never thought that was possible!
David you are a success! You’re developing the skills on how to stay sober! You can do this! You’ve got a big heart like I do! And that can overcome anything!