MycoolFitz

In my early morning unmindfulness fog I knocked over a stack of Buddhist recovery books which preceeded to fall against a small table holding a large plant in a clay vase (the only plant I've had for years which survived my alcoholic disregard for any kind of care, including plant), causing it to crash to the floor, pot shards and dirt everywhere. Besides a surprised "Oh, S**T", I found myself reacting as I imagine an adult would. Instead of flinging the remains of the plant across the room in a string of cuss words (which I would almost certainly have done in my active addiction), I surveyed the situation and took appropriate action. I picked up the vase shards, cleaned up the dirt, repotted the plant, straightened up my books and settled down to SR. Four months ago, my bed room would have been covered by broken pottery and dirt, my plant would be in the trash, my books on the floor and I'd be on my chair swigging vodka and cursing the fates and later regretting my behavior. I know it's such a little thing, but it's the little things that make up the whole.

eJoshua

Good for you. It's great to be able to be in control of your emotions.

FoundmySelf

way to go Fitz, that is a big step!!!

SASA

excellent. I love your post. It is always inspiring to see a post like this.

Reset

Nice.

The reaction was very Buddhist of you.

artsoul

SO true! Life is full of little "surprises" (like one of the kids locking their keys in their car, or forgetting to pick something up at the store and having to go back). No big deal in sobriety, but while drinking it all seemed so impossibly hard.

Thanks for the reminder (and a great post!)!

GettingStronger2

i hear you! Amazing what little things in sobriety mean. Thanks for sharing.

Carla77

Good for you! Sometimes the little things aren't so little!

Carla

Opivotal

Enlightening post Fitz.....I could picture myself doing the same thing when I was drinking. No patience and no maturity....just anger and misery. Thanks for reminding me!



Best Wishes To You

saphira

Thanks for the uplifting post! And so true!!

soberlicious

being able to choose the action necessary for any given situation is such a huge thing...and I agree mycoolfitz...it's all about the little things. Those little things have proven to be the most accuarate yardsticks in measuring my growth these days. Thanks for the cool post. It's ones like these that keep me reading on SR. Loverly...

BrokenChains

Thanks for sharing that wonderful post! It's the little things that have huge meaning. Very encouraging!

CaiHong

This is how I can measure my sobriety and how well I am doing, by my reaction to situations.


Thanks for sharing
CaiHong

MycoolFitz

I'd like to thank everyone for their generous comments and thanks. I'm so happy I won't stagger off to bed tonight and wake up to the drunken chaos I would have found in my room, probably confused about how it happened. Maybe the most important thing I've learned in my recovery besides, DON'T PICK UP, MICHAEL, is reflected in the words of the Buddha: "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world." I know it sounds simple, or maybe unreal, but I really focus on this and work on this and it changes me. I go into my clean room and look at my living plant and I am just so full of gratitude. How could I want my life to be other than it is now?

24hrsAday

thanks fitz for posting that! it is good stuff man!

Piotr

Thank you for sharing this. I just could see myself, while drinking, not doing anything about the plant for weeks on end.

Inspirational.

instant

MCF
The power to observe oneself is a gift, as is the discernment to notice differences in our reactions. Did you thank the pot for breaking in order to give you this lesson?

micealc

Keeping things simple one day at a Time.

ElvisInASkirt

Excellent tale.

The plant will be happy!