โ complacency and commitment โ
Posted: Thu, Dec 16, 2004 06:06:31 AM
the most insidious enemy of long-term recovery.
although i do not consider myself to have "extensive" clean time, i have been around a few days and yet to fall victim to this trap. i have seen others stumble and fall and it is a concern for me.
this is not about the balancing act of dividing my time between recovery and the rest of my life, although time management is an issue for me and i would love to have more time to do nothing and relax. it is about the creeping notion that somehow, after all these years, that somehow i am "fixed" and do not need to be quite as diligent in my program. i am a unique individual and maybe i am not really one of those addicts who need 3 meetings a week, nor consistent communication with my sponsor. i have worked the steps a couple of times, so i really do not NEED to start another cycle. the time i gain from not doing step work or going to meetings or stepping out of service or not sharing what i have with newcomers can be used to work on the other areas of my life that i have lacked the resources to do up until now.
replacing recovery with LIFE will only KILL me. if i want to continue getting what i gotten since coming around, i MUST continue to do what i have been taught to do and as a close friend of mine likes to say that is
∞ DT ∞
although i do not consider myself to have "extensive" clean time, i have been around a few days and yet to fall victim to this trap. i have seen others stumble and fall and it is a concern for me.
this is not about the balancing act of dividing my time between recovery and the rest of my life, although time management is an issue for me and i would love to have more time to do nothing and relax. it is about the creeping notion that somehow, after all these years, that somehow i am "fixed" and do not need to be quite as diligent in my program. i am a unique individual and maybe i am not really one of those addicts who need 3 meetings a week, nor consistent communication with my sponsor. i have worked the steps a couple of times, so i really do not NEED to start another cycle. the time i gain from not doing step work or going to meetings or stepping out of service or not sharing what i have with newcomers can be used to work on the other areas of my life that i have lacked the resources to do up until now.
AND THAT IS HOW MY DISEASE WINS
replacing recovery with LIFE will only KILL me. if i want to continue getting what i gotten since coming around, i MUST continue to do what i have been taught to do and as a close friend of mine likes to say that is
- read the literature
- go to meetings
- pray every morning and night
- get and use a sponsor
- and work the steps as if my LIFE depended on it
∞ DT ∞