19. In case of emergency
When I’m stuck in a rut, I go to a meeting. I work the steps and remember that ‘this too shall pass’.
There were times in my recovery when I thought all was lost, that my world was coming to an end, when I didn’t know what else to do. Have you ever felt this way?
Whenever I get something new (that comes with instructions), the first thing I do is toss aside the little booklet of instructions. But when something goes wrong, that’s the first thing I reach for.
In recovery we don’t have a little booklet of instructions, but we do have a Big Book. It has 12 steps, and even when we follow them, things can still go awry. When the going gets tough, I remember the instructions, I remember the 12 steps. I remember I woke up sober today, and just for today I’ll go to bed sober.
When I’m stuck in a rut, I go to a meeting. I work the steps and remember that ‘this too shall pass’. I can’t control what happens in life, but I can control what I focus on. Ultimately I can control the meaning I associate to those events. I can control what I do, and I can decide to be sober while I do it.
Gratitude of the day: Today I’m thankful for remembering to follow the instructions in the Big Book. I appreciate I can recognize a situation when I need those instructions most.
Action of the day: I will celebrate today by taking time to read the twelve steps.
