[bluidkiti]

December 26

Quote of the Week

"It is a pity we can’t forget our troubles the same way we forget our blessings."

I used to wake up reviewing all the bad things in my life. To start with, I usually had a deep hangover—the kind where your head hurts when you move it just an inch. Then I’d wonder how I was going to work that day, and if the boss would make good on his threat to fire me if I called in late again. I’d next review my dwindling bank balance and think about all my bills. By the time I reached for a cigarette and coffee, I was pretty much defeated.

In early recovery, I used to still wake up and review all the bad things in my life. I had lost that job, and I was living off borrowed money from my home equity line. I was now sentenced to A.A. meetings and forced to work the Steps. By the time I reached for a cup of coffee, I was pretty sure my life was over. My sponsor wasn’t having any of my pity party. He suggested I write a gratitude list which started with things like (1) I was alive and not in jail, (2) I was sober today, (3) I actually owned a home I could borrow on, and (4) I had time to attend multiple meetings throughout the day. Turns out, I did have a lot to be grateful for.

These days, the pity pot doesn’t get used as much, but I can still get into fear and worry. When I do, I review all the things sobriety and my Higher Power have blessed me with: my life, long-term sobriety, spiritual tools that allow me to live comfortably—even serenely—in my own skin. And I have a lot of “outside” stuff as well. Today, I try to forget the temporary troubles that come and go and stay focused on the blessings that are always with me. When I do, I live a very happy and contented life.