Our sobriety is our chance at a do-over. A mulligan, a golfer might say. We have the opportunity to change how we live, how we treat others – to stop living the double life that causes so much damage to ourselves and those around us.
Of course we need to stop drinking and doing any other mind altering substances. But once we put the drink down, how do we keep it down?
Once good things start happening in our sobriety, we’re thrilled. We get a job or a car. Our own place. Life is shaping up. Things are getting better.
So we get a boyfriend or a girlfriend. We join a gym, a church. We decide to go back to school. It’s all wonderful. Everyone is very supportive. So much good stuff going on in our lives.
And then we get drunk.
Not because of the good stuff – but because we get so busy chasing more of it that we lose sight of our primary purpose. Staying sober and helping other alcoholics achieve sobriety.
It seems like the first thing that gets cut from the schedule is meetings. We just don’t have time to show up. So we don’t meet any newcomers, we aren’t there to show our support, to share our experience, strength and hope. We’ve got commitments.
We have weight to lose, classes to study for, overtime at work, a dinner date. All valid, we tell ourselves. And it’s not like we’re thinking of drinking. Of course not.
Then we start to drift…from our sponsors. Our home groups. Our friends in AA. We don’t call people much anymore. We’re really busy. And starting to feel a little pressured. A lot of responsibilities to meet now, bills, relationships, work. It’s all good, but it’s a lot. Normally, we’d call our sponsor, but it’s been such a long time and we haven’t been to a meeting in forever…
Pretty soon we’re praying in the shower, or in the car or not at all. We don’t meditate – who has time for that crap! We’ve got a midterm coming up, we’re not drinking and it’s all good. We’ve got this.
It doesn’t take long after that.
Just remember, the things you put in front of your sobriety are the things that you’ll lose first.
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