Life gives to me a lot of “problems”, if I let it. However, staying sober a day at a time, doing what I learned in here from my sponsor and those old timers, helps me to step back and not being focused on what would ordinarily drag me down.
I learned in here to step back and not project my mind into the future. I was taught that I might have to make plans for the future, one way or another, but not to go there. To remain in this day and nothing else. And further more, not to go back into the past and dwelling on what happened before, which would probably help drag me down into negative emotions.
Yesterday was a celebration for time in sobriety for a number of alcoholics. One of those old timers, brought up the thought that my old sponsor and others did to help me in the past. And that was to make sure I was focused on each day and nothing else. Just today. Not always easy for a wandering mind. But all those old timers would test me from time to time. My old sponsor would always ask me where me feet were at the time. Then he would say to me to “stay there” and not to go any further. It works, if I will work it.
If I wander off to any of my plans for the future, I can end up being pulled down into negativity of all sorts. I know of those, who went back out and drank again, because they brought past events up and added them to the future, and that led some of them to go back out and drink again. Seen it too many times for me.
And that’s where I was led by my old sponsor and those old timers in here. I was told I needed to be able to stay sober a day at a time. And that’s what I hopefully do each and everyday. One of those old timers helped us all to focus on the positive. That’s keeping our thoughts on a positive attitude and not a negative attitude. Leads to peace of mind and heart.
Of course the Ninth Step tells us that the spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it. And that is where the Second Step led me a long time ago. My life changed and over time I have grown into peace and happiness for the most part. Makes me grateful to my Higher Power and all those who freely gave to me.