My sponsor used to tell me to stay in the middle of the table. He told me to not go near the edges, because you could fall off or at least get cut on them.
What was he talking about?
He was talking about sobriety. In this case, mine. First of all to stay away from people, places, and things, which could lead me back to taking a drink.
But, he was also talking about something else. My attitude. What was going on in my head, dictated by my feelings or emotions.
There was an old song from the 40s. It went, “You’ve got to accentuate the positive/Eliminate the negative/Latch onto the affirmative/and don’t mess with Mr. In Between”. That might give you a clue as to my age, that I can remember the song and the words. But it does have something to do with my attitude. It also goes back to Bill’s words: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions?
I believe, from my own experience and that of others, that we have an inclination to think negatively under pressure and even not under duress. I have friends, who tell me, that when they wake up in the morning that their first thought is usually negative. It usually takes them time to adjust and remember that they’re sober and what we are expected to do each day to stay sober.
The temptation to the negative is always there. It’s right under the surface. So is a drink. But the practice of the steps in my life has changed a lot of that. The spiritual awakening, resulting from going through these, is what I believe has changed my attitude. That’s what my sponsor was trying to tell me. It’s up to me, along with the support of others and my Higher Power to stay in the middle of the table.