Do the next right thing. That statement I’ve thought about a lot. Most seem to think it has to do with God’s will for us. I guess I think along those lines myself.
The next right thing. What is that?
Today I was on my way to do the next right thing. The question on my mind was not only how to do it, but what was expected of me as I did. The other was about the spiritual nature of what I was doing. After all, sobriety to me is about attempting to live a spiritual life. Not easy for this alcoholic mind, full of human bumbling and fumbling. I can often and have ended up doing just the opposite.
As I went through this day, a lot of thoughts and questions came into my mind. Was doing the right thing a large or small task? I mean, after all, I’m supposed to be doing God’s will. Isn’t that “big”. It didn’t take me long to realize that some of it was just being patient and overcoming the little irritations that went along with this day. Not saying anything to challenge the people I was associating with on this day. Seems simple enough, now that I looked at it.
For what it’s worth, it took several hours on this venture on which I had been launched. I realized in the process that my job was simple. To be patient and tolerant and to understand, even when I didn’t know. Just be open. To try to practice these principles in all of my affairs.
Now, why was I thinking about this today? Because each day I try to remember why I am here. I’m here to stay sober. Everything I do, I pray will in some way contribute to that. I know that often I stumble and mess up in this quest and have to do something to correct my mistakes. That’s what the Steps are there for. But for some reason this day it was like someone opened my mind and let me look at the day ahead of time, before I took that step out of the door.
It kind of prepared me for what was ahead and helped me to do the next right thing. And, yes, there were some imperfections, but mainly in my mind.