“As addicts and alcholics, we have a mindset of wanting things now. We want to feel a change right now, we want to reach levels that others reached right now. But the reality is that we don’t want to go through the process to get there.”
I remember being early in recovery having a few items of clothing, not a dollar to my name, and all relationships were broken in my life. I would question, "How will I create a life from this mess?" I got my answer by witnessing others who had received a complete restoration of their lives. I held on to that HOPE and let it motivate me, one day at a time. As time went on, it seemed like I was never going to get there. Sub-consciously I would try to figure out short cuts which are illusions because at that point I'm trying to get an end result without putting the work in. That’s why we use the phrases "Spiritual Program of Action" or "Faith without Works is Dead". I have learned this the hard way because in the past I would try to cheat recovery which did not bring real results. This would always leave me starting back over as others continued progressing because I only get what I earn.
Remember: If I ended up back in treatment, it was because I earned my way back by not working a program. I also don't deserve anything because I went to treatment. This is the first step and I have to earn everything from the moment I make that choice. Lastly, I only deserve fruits of the labor after the labor has been made.
So just for today, I will not cheat the work I need to do for my recovery. This consist of meetings, completing morning awakenings, creating a sleep routine, healthy routines for eating, exercise, and water intake, praying throughout the day, listening to worship, pausing when agitated to breathe and/or meditate, listening to the holy spirit when I am being guided into or away from something, forgiving myself and others if needed, reaching out to sponsor and supports, and being of service to others struggling and everyday people in life. This is what I call my maintenance and it every bit of it is worth it because I never want to go back to the life I use to live. This has worked for time now, so I think I am going to continue.
"Our results are directly determined by the effort we put in"
