Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 6, 2022, at 2:00 A.M. On Saturday night, clocks are set back one hour (i.e., gaining one hour). This has come to be known as “Fall Back." This event has become part of the fall routine and one which sleep deprived individuals like this blogger look forward to very much.
Although the changing of the seasons and decreasing sunlight hours may be inevitable, there is one "fall back" that doesn't have to be inevitable and that is falling back into old behavior.
There is an adage that says, "Don't trip over something behind you." This is so applicable to recovery. Now that we are living recovery lifestyles our path forward is clear. We don't have to stumble over something that we left behind us.
But perhaps we have stumbled along the way, what then? General George S. Patton had this to say about momentary setbacks, “I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom."
Some of us have experienced trauma before finding recovery. Sometimes that trauma can get cued and start to pull us backward, but we don't have to follow it. Our trauma may describe us, but it doesn't define us. Our resiliency, inner strength and courage are the qualities which define us.
So how does one stay on the path of recovery without stumbling?
The answer to this question can be found on page 85 of the book Alcoholics Anonymous where we find, “What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.”
And what does this maintenance of our spiritual condition look like? Our daily maintenance starts with asking for God’s help to be of maximum service. It continues by doing our daily readings and staying in contact with our sponsor and friends in our recovery circle. It means going to our homegroup faithfully and other meetings too. (This blogger likes the formula of at least two meetings a week, one to feed and one to seed). Our maintenance ends with a review of our day and thanking God for the gift of recovery.
This fall enjoy the changing of the seasons, the colors of the leaves and the crisp, cool nights. Fall into a good book. Fall into a deep sleep. Fall back, but don't fall back.
