OKaysez

  

Made a Decision

 

  

            Living Sober Takes Practice

 

When we have turned to mild-altering-chemicals for dealing with life over the years - with alcohol being our big one - we don’t jump ship into sobriety easily.

 

It takes time and practice - Slowbriety - to become comfortable with the very different high quality lifestyle sobriety offers us. 

"We PRACTICE these principles in all our affairs."

 

In the beginning we have no idea how to even live a life without lots of high drama. We will often create situations to produce it just to elevate our comfort level.

 

 We might start fights with our neighbors, gossip at work, shake our fists (and fingers) at other drivers, and angrily exit meetings - with or without leaving tire rubber in the parking lot. 

I know this, because I’ve done all of this - and much more. But as long as we don’t drink over any of it, it’s OK. Because we will learn - over time - that a life without high drama contains serenity. And serenity will truly - eventually - become our goal!

 

Newcomers often speak of the beauty in life they are now just noticing … of the butterfly on the neighbor’s window, the magical full moon, the diamond-like sun-sparkle on sea water … things never noticed when we are lost in our disease. 

 

But it can become hard to see the butterfly when we pick a fight with our neighbor. Nor will the full moon shine as brightly when sleep eludes us because of our quarrel.

As for that sparkle on the water? Silver quickly turns to pewter when our minds darken in anger. 

 

So what happened? Where did I go off track? Was I intolerant, impatient, self-centered, or afraid? 

Did my own confused emotions cause this problem to escalate? 

These are the kinds of things we learn to identify - and correct - as we trudge along our sober path. 

Happier sober lives are built by our adopting new attitudes - step by step. When we develop - with practice - the daily use of the 10th step and begin to examine our part in our problems, we're well on our way.

Don't be impatient with yourself if you didn't do as well as you wish you had. If you didn't drink over a situation that would have once sent you to the bottle, go ahead and pat yourself on the back. Then promise yourself you'll try to do better next time. 

 

AA's co-founder, Dr. Bob, once said, "I don't think we can do anything very well in this world unless we practice it. And I don't believe we do A.A. too well unless we practice it … that was not easy for me, and I assume that it is difficult for everyone else."

Our sobriety is worth the work. If Dr. Bob himself struggled to practice his way into a new life, I don't think we should be too hard on ourselves when we find we may have to struggle a bit now and then, too.