I’ve found that in recovery we tend to seek sympathy and compassion from those around us, and we can get stuck in that poor me mindset. I know I’ve been there myself. It’s easy to focus on what happened to us, what others did, and how life didn’t go the way we thought it should.
But when I really sit back and look at it honestly, I see that a lot of our stories end the same way. They led us right here. It was our thinking, our attitudes, and the choices we made along the way. There was always that constant desire to use, to block out the world and not have to feel anything. Instead of facing life, we tried to escape it.
I know for me, I would blame others for where I was at, and at the same time I would blame myself too. It was a constant cycle of pointing fingers, feeling sorry for myself, and staying stuck in that same place.
Recovery has shown me something different. It is not about ignoring what we have been through, but it is also not about living in that poor me anymore. It is about being honest with myself, looking at my part, and being willing to change. When I start working on my thinking and my attitude, things begin to shift.
I do not have to run anymore. I do not have to use to block everything out. I can face life for what it is, one day at a time. And I do not have to do it alone. There is freedom in letting go of the blame toward others and toward myself and just focusing on doing the next right thing. That is what recovery is teaching me every day.
Good morning with love,
Christopher W