Sober thinking

Years ago a man wrote a book, which became so popular that hundreds of thousand of people not only read it, but classes were set up to help business men and others to gain a new set of thinking. And it worked. I knew many, who benefited from it.

The book was The Power of Positive Thinking. The man who wrote it was Norman Vincent Peale.

The reason I was thinking about this is that at the present moment I’m under the weather. It started back a week ago, when I began to have an earache. Before that my eyes were really bothering me and I also suspected I had a sinus infection. I saw a doctor and he put me on antibiotics. Now the reason I thought about this is that, as time has gone on, I have felt lower and lower in mood tone and today I couldn’t even get the energy to go to a meeting, as I do regularly.

After talking to a friend on the phone this evening, it became clear that I’m beginning to get those old negative thoughts back again. Irritable, impatient, argumentative, and generally on the minus side.

After his call I realized just how low I felt. That’s not how I feel or act on a regular basis in this program. If anything, this program has changed all of that. From the negative to the positive. Even when I’m generally under stress or not at the top of my game, I can always find something to laugh at. Often pain will interrupt me and I will find myself laughing at it. That’s what hit me after the phone call.

True I feel lousy, but so what? That doesn’t mean I have to let it control my thinking. I’m glad that it all came out in the conversation. I promised myself that I would look at the bright side of life. After all, my higher power and this program gave me freedom from the bondage of alcohol. Now that was something really negative. It almost killed me. I was given a new freedom and a new happiness. I had a spiritual awakening, which restored me to sanity. My life is better than it ever was. It was the best thing, which ever happened to me.

Despite everything going on now I have to remember how grateful I really am. To thank my higher power in anyway I can. If nothing else to rise above my circumstances and act as if everything is okay.

Anyway, this is what came to mind, after a friend pointed out to me how self critical I can be and how I need to change my mind. And I am grateful for all the sober friends, who care about me. In return I can rise up and respond, with the help of a power greater than myself. I think I will.