EFFORT

Oct 19, from “Strengthening My Recovery” daily reader

“Recovery takes effort.” BRBp.50

A Higher Power provides food for all the birds on earth but doesn’t put it in their mouths.

“It would be nice to just sit in the rooms of recovery and let the program sink in by osmosis without having to work at it. Some of us have tried this, a few for many years, and wondered why we were not experiencing much change. We may be substance-free but we continue to have emotional chaos and dysfunction in our lives and in our heads.

Eventually, if we’re lucky, it will dawn on us that, try as we might, change will not happen without significant effort on our part. And we need the program, our fellow travelers, and most of all our Higher Power. If we’re stalled, we open our minds and hearts to see what works for others. Maybe the same thing will work for us.

We’ve been continuously told that recovery takes effort. And as we do the work, we realize that recovery does not bring the absence of storms, but it gives us a much needed umbrella we never had before.

On this day I will leave “the nest” and do the work necessary for the recovery that will change my life.”

My experience:

What has been told to me is, “if it is in the way, then it is the way.”  This means whatever you feel yourself struggling with, is probably the thing you need to work on in order to move forward in your recovery.  This of course takes recognition, humbling yourself, and effort to tackle that thing which is in the way.  Osmosis will not do it, however if that is all you have right now, and believe me that is all I could do for months is just show up, then so be it.  It is better than not showing up.  One day, your Higher Power will let you know when it is the time for you to move forward.  And what I have found, is that although I was afraid to move to the next phase, when I felt the urging of my HP, the fear went away and I was fully able and capable of doing that which needed to be done to further my recovery.  The tools are there, the people are there, your HP is there, you are not alone!!

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