Work
 

Thinking today about work. The good, real work of one's life.

There are certainly other "lucky" people who haven't had to suffer with our struggles and losses and pain. There's "lucky" people who coast on the surface of life, and envy them I often do.

But there's something to be said for those of us who have had and who have to work at sobriety. Because no matter what, that's what it is - work.

But work is good. Work is honest. It gives you clarity. It makes you sleepy and tired in ways that however many milliliters of your favorite poison never let you. Work makes you stronger. It connects you with the earth, with your loved ones, with your self. Work calcifies old wounds you've let fester for years. Work breaks open parts of your soul you left to fallow for years. And this kind of work can create in you what is maybe the most human, the most valuable of qualities one can esteem to have - empathy.

And it's hard. But it's good work. And hard, good work is all we can hope for.

"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials." - Seneca

It takes no particular skill to be a 'normal drinker'. Most people are just born with it.

Defeating an addiction, on the other hand, is a real achievement.

I think people look at me weird when I talk about quitting my addictions as an achievement. This has been the hardest thing I have ever done and it still requires effort to keep me moving in the right direction. But I am grateful for it. Many of those people who skate along the surface never bother trying to improve themselves, and it isn't always because there is nothing to improve. I am grateful for the opportunity and the willingness to make positive changes in my life as it has made me a much happier person :)

Envy is a dangerous emotion as well. Non-alcoholics surely have struggles in their lives too, some of them very major ones.

I view recovery as good, honorable work to be certain. But I think it's dangerous to hold ourselves to any higher standard than others just because of overcoming our addictions. Humility is very important,even once we become sober.

Of course, humility is very important. I just wanted to focus on the part of this, sobriety, that is the nitty gritty work of it all.

The idea that only alcoholics have problems in their lives was certainly never, ever suggested by me.

Thanks for this.

I was having a really hard time today and thinking this is WORK and that it would be so much easier to just give up and drink. I was exhausted. I mean, just not drinking for me right now is work, nevermind all the internal work I still need to do.

I'm with you GreenEggs. That's all I meant to get at. Humility is all fine and well for the accomplished ones - for us, still in the trenches, being proud of the work we put in, I think that's helpful.

We seem to be in the same boat, at the same time.

Stay strong.