Blog entry for:

Tue, Mar 20, 2007 07:17:51 AM


∞ the belief that a benevolent Power greater than my addiction ∞
posted: Tue, Mar 20, 2007 07:17:51 AM

 

just might exist gives me enough hope to stay clean, a day at a time.
well i would have to use a bit stronger language than just might exist, but i do understand the quandary many a person new to recovery faces when dealing with this issue. i was one of those who had serious issues about the divine and the mundane. i was one of those rational people who believed that there was a rational explanation for everything under the sun, so to speak. so of course even acknowledging that my addiction was a force that was greater than me was quite a jump. there i sat, once again looking into the pit of despair that my life had become, wondering how things ever got so bad and trying to figure out how i was going to survive without the chemical crutch that i depended on to shield me from the slings and arrows of daily existence.
naturally the answer was quite simply to accept that i was powerless over the disease of addiction, which i have come to recognize as that part of myself that i call the disease of addiction, but this is not the time to argue the semantics of that statement. i finally came to grips and conceded to my innermost self that i was not like normal people and needed something more powerful than addiction if i was to survive for any length of time.
with that tiny admission, with that tiny surrender, with that small paradigm shift, i was finally ready to open my mind to something more. because since i was under the control of the disease of addiction, and nothing in my power could change that, in order to build HOPE, there had to be something more, and something more is what i needed post haste!
so a benevolent POWER you ask. well there is the fellowship that welcomed me, and told me that misery was my choice. the addicts who comprised the membership of that fellowship showed me that they could and were staying clean, and were quite happy with the their lives regardless of the events that were happening day to day. no their lives were not perfect and without problems, worries or concerns, and most of those addicts were honest with me that staying clean would not take the problematic areas out of my life, merely that they had the means to deal with those problems as the problems arose and those means did not include better living through chemistry.
so it was off to the races and on to the path of recovery, and startling that journey has been to this day one of my best decisions. no my life is not perfect, BUT it is a helluva lot better than it was and i owe that to the benevolent power that KEEPS me clean, just for today.

∞ DT ∞

 

djtConsulting Brand
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.

Another Look!

∞ something greater than the force of my addiction ∞ 456 words ➥ Monday, March 20, 2006 by: donnot
α i know without a doubt that my life has been filled with destruction.  … 383 words ➥ Thursday, March 20, 2008 by: donnot
α when i take the First Step, i admit that the destructive force of addiction is bigger than i am ω 558 words ➥ Friday, March 20, 2009 by: donnot
¿ i recognize addiction as a power that has and is creating devastation in my life ¿ 571 words ➥ Saturday, March 20, 2010 by: donnot
√ i HAVE no trouble admitting that addiction is a destructive force in my life √ 678 words ➥ Sunday, March 20, 2011 by: donnot
↑ i HAVE come to believe in the possibility ↑ 567 words ➥ Tuesday, March 20, 2012 by: donnot
ℜ my best efforts result in ever greater destruction and despair ℜ 690 words ➥ Wednesday, March 20, 2013 by: donnot
≈ at some point, i realized that i needed ≈ 653 words ➥ Thursday, March 20, 2014 by: donnot
⌈ at some point, i realized that ⌋ 642 words ➥ Friday, March 20, 2015 by: donnot
↷ HIGHER POWER ↶ 758 words ➥ Sunday, March 20, 2016 by: donnot
⤠ finding enough ⤟ 860 words ➥ Monday, March 20, 2017 by: donnot
🌟 greater than 🌠 608 words ➥ Tuesday, March 20, 2018 by: donnot
🤩 my only hope 🤳 536 words ➥ Wednesday, March 20, 2019 by: donnot
🚧 believing in the 🚧 550 words ➥ Friday, March 20, 2020 by: donnot
🤔 just might exist 🧭 445 words ➥ Saturday, March 20, 2021 by: donnot
🧿 a POWER greater 🧿 594 words ➥ Sunday, March 20, 2022 by: donnot
💱 self - support 💰 572 words ➥ Monday, March 20, 2023 by: donnot
😀 i can be happy 😁 547 words ➥ Wednesday, March 20, 2024 by: donnot
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge

Book 1

1) He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent.
He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty.
He who is satisfied with his lot is rich; he who goes on acting with
energy has a (firm) will.