Recovery is a life style
A Day at a Time
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Grand Rapids MI
Posts: 6,435
Recovery is a life style
The longer I am sober the more I realize recovery is about so much more than not drinking. Sobriety is the foundation which all other things are built but like my drinking my recovery has to be every bit as much a part of my life.
Recovery is about change. I had no clue as to why I drank. Why I could never stay stopped. When I became desperate enough I started to do things that were suggested to me by professionals and people with long term sobriety. I was sure their suggestions would never work but I was wrong.
Slowly but surely I started to rebuild my life and gave up on the notion that my old life could be salvaged. I came to realize that this long term sobriety thing was a process not and event. Recovery was something that would take conscious action everyday until I died.
Today I am a different person doing different things. I actively seek out activities and people that alcohol is not a part of. I have a set of things I do that maintain me spirituality, mentally, and socially
For this alcoholic if I am not moving forward I am moving backwards
Recovery is about change. I had no clue as to why I drank. Why I could never stay stopped. When I became desperate enough I started to do things that were suggested to me by professionals and people with long term sobriety. I was sure their suggestions would never work but I was wrong.
Slowly but surely I started to rebuild my life and gave up on the notion that my old life could be salvaged. I came to realize that this long term sobriety thing was a process not and event. Recovery was something that would take conscious action everyday until I died.
Today I am a different person doing different things. I actively seek out activities and people that alcohol is not a part of. I have a set of things I do that maintain me spirituality, mentally, and socially
For this alcoholic if I am not moving forward I am moving backwards
☀️⛳️
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,506
Originally Posted by MIRecovery 
The longer I am sober the more I realize recovery is about so much more than not drinking. Sobriety is the foundation which all other things are built but like my drinking my recovery has to be every bit as much a part of my life.
Recovery is about change. I had no clue as to why I drank. Why I could never stay stopped. When I became desperate enough I started to do things that were suggested to me by professionals and people with long term sobriety. I was sure their suggestions would never work but I was wrong.
Slowly but surely I started to rebuild my life and gave up on the notion that my old life could be salvaged. I came to realize that this long term sobriety thing was a process not and event. Recovery was something that would take conscious action everyday until I died.
Today I am a different person doing different things. I actively seek out activities and people that alcohol is not a part of. I have a set of things I do that maintain me spirituality, mentally, and socially
For this alcoholic if I am not moving forward I am moving backwards
Recovery is about change. I had no clue as to why I drank. Why I could never stay stopped. When I became desperate enough I started to do things that were suggested to me by professionals and people with long term sobriety. I was sure their suggestions would never work but I was wrong.
Slowly but surely I started to rebuild my life and gave up on the notion that my old life could be salvaged. I came to realize that this long term sobriety thing was a process not and event. Recovery was something that would take conscious action everyday until I died.
Today I am a different person doing different things. I actively seek out activities and people that alcohol is not a part of. I have a set of things I do that maintain me spirituality, mentally, and socially
For this alcoholic if I am not moving forward I am moving backwards
Hi, excellent points made, and so very true.
It's like building a new house, without a solid foundation there is zero to build on.
Well done again.
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,469
That's a super post and I agree with you whole-heartedly.
I think my recovery is about being a better person and continuing to evolve and grow. I would never have believed the level of transformation that has occurred in my life.
I think my recovery is about being a better person and continuing to evolve and grow. I would never have believed the level of transformation that has occurred in my life.
Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: liverpool, england
Posts: 1,708
i fully endorse that post good post indeed, its how my recovery is and how its taking shape i will never be perfect but just by practicing being good each day some of it rubs off
trying to help someone else instead of helping myself also has played a huge part of my recovery and become a way of life
no i am not a saint and never will be but i just try each day to be good kind and helpful even to people i feel uncomfortable with in fact it works twice as well when i do that
trying to help someone else instead of helping myself also has played a huge part of my recovery and become a way of life
no i am not a saint and never will be but i just try each day to be good kind and helpful even to people i feel uncomfortable with in fact it works twice as well when i do that
A Day at a Time
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Grand Rapids MI
Posts: 6,435
Originally Posted by desypete
i fully endorse that post good post indeed, its how my recovery is and how its taking shape i will never be perfect but just by practicing being good each day some of it rubs off
trying to help someone else instead of helping myself also has played a huge part of my recovery and become a way of life
no i am not a saint and never will be but i just try each day to be good kind and helpful even to people i feel uncomfortable with in fact it works twice as well when i do that
trying to help someone else instead of helping myself also has played a huge part of my recovery and become a way of life
no i am not a saint and never will be but i just try each day to be good kind and helpful even to people i feel uncomfortable with in fact it works twice as well when i do that
☀️⛳️
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,506
Originally Posted by MIRecovery
Helping others is one of the pieces that maintain me mentally and spiritually and it is a key piece. If when I die I can say I helped one person it will be a good life
Mission accomplished, I can say you have already helped me when I came to SR.
I thank you for that.
Mini Novel Post Writer
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,649
Excellent post MIRecovery!
I wanted to clarify something for the newcomers who read:
I think for a newbie reading those words can be scary so some clarification is needed.
The way that you are taking conscious action in the beginning is not how that same conscious action is later on. In effect, don't take that statement as meaning that you're going to feel every day for the rest of your life how you feel in the beginning, fighting the urges, barreling through, gritting teeth. It's tough in the beginning.
Then, things start to change. Slowly but surely you come to settle into the new way of life. Daily consciousness is no longer a battle, it's a welcome feeling of peace with yourself and where you are. It's your conscious consideration of the fact that you're grateful to be where you are because of the decision that you made and how much you appreciate even the little things. It's not a daily thought process where you're saying "I have to stay sober, I have to stay sober, I have to stay sober".
It's an incredibly powerful and positive feeling that creates a inner smile and is a reminder of the peace that you've come to know. Who couldn't live with that on a daily basis?
I wanted to clarify something for the newcomers who read:
Recovery was something that would take conscious action everyday until I died.
The way that you are taking conscious action in the beginning is not how that same conscious action is later on. In effect, don't take that statement as meaning that you're going to feel every day for the rest of your life how you feel in the beginning, fighting the urges, barreling through, gritting teeth. It's tough in the beginning.
Then, things start to change. Slowly but surely you come to settle into the new way of life. Daily consciousness is no longer a battle, it's a welcome feeling of peace with yourself and where you are. It's your conscious consideration of the fact that you're grateful to be where you are because of the decision that you made and how much you appreciate even the little things. It's not a daily thought process where you're saying "I have to stay sober, I have to stay sober, I have to stay sober".
It's an incredibly powerful and positive feeling that creates a inner smile and is a reminder of the peace that you've come to know. Who couldn't live with that on a daily basis?
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 120,855
Originally Posted by LadyBlue0527
Excellent post MIRecovery!
I wanted to clarify something for the newcomers who read:
I think for a newbie reading those words can be scary so some clarification is needed.
The way that you are taking conscious action in the beginning is not how that same conscious action is later on. In effect, don't take that statement as meaning that you're going to feel every day for the rest of your life how you feel in the beginning, fighting the urges, barreling through, gritting teeth. It's tough in the beginning.
Then, things start to change. Slowly but surely you come to settle into the new way of life. Daily consciousness is no longer a battle, it's a welcome feeling of peace with yourself and where you are. It's your conscious consideration of the fact that you're grateful to be where you are because of the decision that you made and how much you appreciate even the little things. It's not a daily thought process where you're saying "I have to stay sober, I have to stay sober, I have to stay sober".
It's an incredibly powerful and positive feeling that creates a inner smile and is a reminder of the peace that you've come to know. Who couldn't live with that on a daily basis?
I wanted to clarify something for the newcomers who read:
I think for a newbie reading those words can be scary so some clarification is needed.
The way that you are taking conscious action in the beginning is not how that same conscious action is later on. In effect, don't take that statement as meaning that you're going to feel every day for the rest of your life how you feel in the beginning, fighting the urges, barreling through, gritting teeth. It's tough in the beginning.
Then, things start to change. Slowly but surely you come to settle into the new way of life. Daily consciousness is no longer a battle, it's a welcome feeling of peace with yourself and where you are. It's your conscious consideration of the fact that you're grateful to be where you are because of the decision that you made and how much you appreciate even the little things. It's not a daily thought process where you're saying "I have to stay sober, I have to stay sober, I have to stay sober".
It's an incredibly powerful and positive feeling that creates a inner smile and is a reminder of the peace that you've come to know. Who couldn't live with that on a daily basis?
Spot on!!!!
Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: liverpool, england
Posts: 1,708
without doubt it takes time to find these new things in life, i well remember going around aa meetings moaning my head off at how cruel life was to me, blaming the police for locking me up, blaming the social workers for taking my kids off me and blaming anyone and everything for all the bad things in my life.
i was unhappy being sober and facing my empty life without booze, but somehow i just kept on going back to meetings and sharing it and people there listened to all my rubbish and still welcomed me back with a cup of tea and a warm smile. i hated them do gooders as well as they seemed happy to be sober and not me
it took 2 years of living like that almost before things started to make sense to me like dont you think i deserved to lose my kids as i wasnt fit to look after them getting drunk all the time etc
today after 10 years its a different picture but it takes hard work each day to start it off and practicing things i dont want to practise
sure enough it finaly start to work and before you know it your doing things differently in your life that you look back on and remember how you once was and its just amazing to think you was even that way
hence i have to keep on going back to meetings and helping newcomers as there the ones who teach me the most about what i have got to lose if i ever went back
i was unhappy being sober and facing my empty life without booze, but somehow i just kept on going back to meetings and sharing it and people there listened to all my rubbish and still welcomed me back with a cup of tea and a warm smile. i hated them do gooders as well as they seemed happy to be sober and not me
it took 2 years of living like that almost before things started to make sense to me like dont you think i deserved to lose my kids as i wasnt fit to look after them getting drunk all the time etc
today after 10 years its a different picture but it takes hard work each day to start it off and practicing things i dont want to practise
sure enough it finaly start to work and before you know it your doing things differently in your life that you look back on and remember how you once was and its just amazing to think you was even that way
hence i have to keep on going back to meetings and helping newcomers as there the ones who teach me the most about what i have got to lose if i ever went back
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