Stepping back and Listening to Others
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 114
Stepping back and Listening to Others
Hi Everyone,
Today I am at 203 days sober and it has been a wild ride-a pretty awesome ride to be certain.
When I first started the AA program and starting coming to SR every day I was 27, drinking and using drugs every day and getting 1 day closer to killing myself every day. I was depressed, miseralble, unreliable, unfreindly, selfish and not a good person overall. I lied to get what I wanted and took advantage of my freinds' good nature. I was also sick physically from all the damage I had done to my body and am lucky to have recovered on that front as well as from using every day. I lived to drink and use and did everything I could to get there.
Today all of that has changed. Now I wake up every day happy and glad that I am finally living life on life's terms. I came a long way over the past months and have figured out the person I really am and the one I was made to be. My best of freinds who were always there for me are starting to get to know me again-the real me, and the one with some good qualities. I am now reliable, freindly and willing help others and NOT take advantage of them. I love live and have re-discovered all the things I used to be interested in that I lost sight of such as music, and playing my instruments for joy. My creative side has returned and now that I am healthy again I have taken up long distance running again and mountain biking.
All of that could not have been possible without a lot of things. The great people here on SR, my sponsor, those in the AA meetings I attend and my higher power.
BUT- one of the biggest things I have learned is to stop and listen to others. Stopping and listining to the advice of others who have gone down my path and could help me was a huge part of my recovery-and always will be. I always thought I could do things on my own-that I didnt need any help. Now I realize that I need all the help I can get. And, help comes in lots of ways. Sometimes its someone giving clear advice. Sometimes its someone just saying something nice or motivating to me. Sometimes its people-freinds, family or stangers giving me a chance-trusting me. I think help comes in lots of ways and we need to be able to capture that help when it comes-whatever format it comes in. One of my favorite things of being sober is my clarity (In addition to a lot of other things). I think clearer now-and I can see all the good things my life has given me and all the things i had pushed away in the past.
I guess my message is-when your going through things and the "glory days" of sobriety are met with the tough sober days, and it comes to living life on life's terms-just look for all the subtle things that can help you if you really look for it and use that to help you. I glean a lot of help from all of you and thank you so much for it.
All the best to everyone and keep on truckin!
Today I am at 203 days sober and it has been a wild ride-a pretty awesome ride to be certain.
When I first started the AA program and starting coming to SR every day I was 27, drinking and using drugs every day and getting 1 day closer to killing myself every day. I was depressed, miseralble, unreliable, unfreindly, selfish and not a good person overall. I lied to get what I wanted and took advantage of my freinds' good nature. I was also sick physically from all the damage I had done to my body and am lucky to have recovered on that front as well as from using every day. I lived to drink and use and did everything I could to get there.
Today all of that has changed. Now I wake up every day happy and glad that I am finally living life on life's terms. I came a long way over the past months and have figured out the person I really am and the one I was made to be. My best of freinds who were always there for me are starting to get to know me again-the real me, and the one with some good qualities. I am now reliable, freindly and willing help others and NOT take advantage of them. I love live and have re-discovered all the things I used to be interested in that I lost sight of such as music, and playing my instruments for joy. My creative side has returned and now that I am healthy again I have taken up long distance running again and mountain biking.
All of that could not have been possible without a lot of things. The great people here on SR, my sponsor, those in the AA meetings I attend and my higher power.
BUT- one of the biggest things I have learned is to stop and listen to others. Stopping and listining to the advice of others who have gone down my path and could help me was a huge part of my recovery-and always will be. I always thought I could do things on my own-that I didnt need any help. Now I realize that I need all the help I can get. And, help comes in lots of ways. Sometimes its someone giving clear advice. Sometimes its someone just saying something nice or motivating to me. Sometimes its people-freinds, family or stangers giving me a chance-trusting me. I think help comes in lots of ways and we need to be able to capture that help when it comes-whatever format it comes in. One of my favorite things of being sober is my clarity (In addition to a lot of other things). I think clearer now-and I can see all the good things my life has given me and all the things i had pushed away in the past.
I guess my message is-when your going through things and the "glory days" of sobriety are met with the tough sober days, and it comes to living life on life's terms-just look for all the subtle things that can help you if you really look for it and use that to help you. I glean a lot of help from all of you and thank you so much for it.
All the best to everyone and keep on truckin!
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 114
Thanks all-its been a wild experience and I am grateful for every minute of it. Being the kind of person who thought I could always do things on my own, stepping back and listening to the help of others was a big change, and now its a welcome change. I realized I was not capable of doing things my way. My ways didnt work. The things people give me advice on is what works and its what I am going to stick to. I dont know how to put it, but there is something like a weight off my shoulders knowing that everything is going to be ok-because I will always have the help of others-no matter what. If I had continued to do things my way, there may have been no more "me" at some time. This alternative is so much more powerful.
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