Blog entry for:

i realize that material wealth pales in comparison to the spiritual riches i have gained in recovery.
this morning, what struck me was the simplicity of the promise that has come true for me. when i am tempted to compare my life with the appearance of other members, all i need to come back to what i was promised when i got here, the FREEDOM from active addiction, nothing more and nothing less. although i have had some material success and do not get me wrong, i am grateful for the material gifts i have been given, and i am not quite ready to give all of those gifts back and live a life of an ascetic. that being said, i am also grateful for the spiritual gifts i have received. gifts like the ability to be honest, loving, caring, empathetic, and trustworthy. that list is hardly inclusive, and those gifts i have received that were not listed are not any less important, they just do not pop out of my mind at this moment.
so what i guess this reading brings up is yet another gift, the ability to be grateful for everything i have today. so the next question that pops into my mind is that could i be happy if i lost all the material gifts that i have received? that is a reservation that i have looked at in the past, and it is one that i need to check in on, on a periodic basis. today i can say yes i would be able to stay clean, and after a bit of whining and moaning, i could be happy also.
so exactly what does freedom from active addiction mean to me today, at this point in my recovery? well it means that i do not have the obsession to use this morning. i have a choice whether or not i will use today. it means that if i am frustrated or unhappy with things not going my way, i can start my day over again and let go. it means i can learn to accept myself as i am today. and it means that i can take time out of my day to write this little missive to the cyberworld. so time to start back to work and meet my responsibilities.

∞ DT ∞