Time is irrelevant when it comes to sobriety. It doesn’t matter if we have one day or forty years. What matters is staying sober today and allowing ourselves to be present, living in the here and now. I have learned over the years that if I don’t let go of what plagues my soul, I will fall into a spiral of self doubt, self loathing, and stress, and before I know it I am back in old ways of thinking, which got me here in the first place.
There is no cure for our disease, but there is hope. And with hope comes faith. With faith comes love. Without those three, and without getting to know a God of our understanding, we can find ourselves stuck in a world of hurt, habits, and hang ups that never really allow us to move on or reach our potential for greatness, let alone happiness.
That growth comes from doing the work. It comes from working with others in the program, going to meetings, sharing when we feel compelled, and getting uncomfortable so we can become comfortable with who we are as men, fathers, brothers, partners and productive members of society.