Everybody wants a good life. Who doesn’t want health, happiness, connection and fun? Walking straight at that seems reasonable enough. And too, none of us are surprised when ambivalence dogs our progress. Positive change is still change. We don’t know how, don’t think we have the resources or are too distracted to keep moving in that general direction.
Just not drinking (or using) frees up a lot of resources. There’s more time, energy and money for other stuff. Good stuff that we can pile up into a good life. So since you’re already on a roll, embrace your inner Changling:
Here five ways to free up even more resources for the good, sober life ahead:
1. Do something.
Find something that you can do and do it. The byproduct of taking action is always better than doing nothing. Trying to live the good life “on the fence” will kill you.
2. Dream big.
Short-term relief is survival mode. When you were little you didn’t walk around thinking, “When I grow up I want to survive!” No. You definitely had a better vision of you for you. What would it take to thrive?
3. Be yourself.
You can’t get out of being you. You’re probably not so bad, anyway. Try getting into it. I love public transportation. When my car broke down I rode my bike and took the bus to work, which made me happy. Who knew?
4. Love a little challenge.
What if you did something you thought would be hard and came through shining? You might feel a sense of accomplishment, or build resilience, or learn something. That stuff has at least as much value as avoiding a challenge.
5. Notice progress.
Celebrate small, incremental gains. You don’t have to run the Boston marathon. Every step counts. Pick up some bacon on the way home from work and make yourself a sandwich. Isn’t it fun to think about eating bacon?
“The only real freedom a human being can ever know is doing what you ought to do because you want to do it.” - Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 552
It is important to remember that you are not alone. We are always here to help.
Our Mission at the Retreat.
Our mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities affected by alcohol and drug dependency by providing affordable, effective educational services grounded in the Twelve Step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous.
