One of the wisest counsels I got from my sponsor, to help me to stay sober, was, when in doubt don’t. It was a red flag for me. Stop! Don’t go any further.
He told me that, when and if I had any misgivings, I was to step back from taking any action. He was well aware that I was often inflexible and tended to have a closed mind. He knew that I was prone to precipitous action. That I might go off on my own, without counsel or good judgment, and put my sobriety into jeopardy.
In retrospect I can see how much wisdom went into that direction. It often kept me from acting foolishly. It was one of many things he told me, which got me to talk frequently with other sober people and lay out my thinking for them to offer me help. But the main thing it did was to develop a red flag in my head, when I had anything questionable in my mind.
Of course I didn’t do this perfectly and I paid the price for my actions. But those episodes burned his advice even deeper into my consciousness.
Anyway, after a question by someone today, I had to stop and think about, when in doubt don’t. It makes me think how much help my sponsor gave me over those years we worked together. I often say that he was the man most responsible for saving my life. I am so grateful for him and his support and direction.