A friend of mine sent me an email today, which made me stop and think about their words. They live out of state and in a warm climate in a small town on the Gulf. What they said that they were going to relax and take it easy. And how this way of life has given them peace and happiness they never had before…Not all the time, but for the most part.
I couldn’t help but agree with that statement about our sober way of life in here. It’s been the same for me for a long time now. Not just the freedom from alcohol in my life, but the way of life I have now. How this program, the Steps and the other way of living, which I learned from my sponsor and old timers in here, turned my life into a great gift. The result of the Second Step, which opened the door to this way of life for me.
The other day a lot of us talked about how this spiritual way of life revolutionized us. We had lost so much spirituality while we were out there drinking heavily that it changed the direction we might have started out with. Prayer and meditation were out of the picture. I had lost hope, faith, and definitely love.
This program brought all of that back into my life. I remember how often, in the beginning, I felt unworthy of any of this. I had to overcome that from what my sponsor had told me in the beginning. I didn’t know that I didn’t know, I only thought I did. I had no idea of the truth or honesty within me. In fact I remember some old timers pointing out to me that I had a dark black hole within me. They pointed out that, while I was drinking, I tried to fill that hole from the outside, which was impossible. I learned in here how to become open within and that darkness began to fade and light began to grow. Hope and faith, and finally love began to appear in me.
Anyway, after reading those words, I couldn’t help but sit down and think about them. Made me grateful. Helped me to open up and think about why I am here. To stay sober a day at a time. The daily beginning of peace and happiness within. As always makes me stop and grow in gratitude to my Higher Power and the program. And all the people in it, who have reached out and helped me with their honesty and experience. Freely giving to me what I so desperately needed. I need to always be thankful and to be willing to give to others what was given to me.
There’s more, but enough for now.