June 4

”The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don’t know what to do.” John Holt

In the past when faced with a situation when I did not know what to do, my usual reaction would have been to say “<insert your favourite expletive here> it” and seek escape in my addictive behaviours. It still happens frequently in my recovery that I find myself in these types of situations. But I have found new ways to handle them. Usually I start with a Serenity Prayer (or 3) to help calm me down as well as providing me the time to evaluate how much (little) control I have. Then I try turning over everything (almost) that is out of my power to my Higher Power (here you go, it’s all yours!) At this point I usually feel relief and a decrease in the pressure and stress of the situation. Finally I can take a realistic look at what is within my power to deal with (lil ol me) and can start formulating some ways to handle the problem. I know I can always ask for help or simple reach out to others to vent. Life in recovery is about making different choices (see definition of insanity.) My tendency now is to evaluate and act rather than immediately reacting to the world around me. I know that as a result that I am rebuilding my character in the process.

Affirmation Today I will try not to escape from life’s challenges, but pause and focus on the things I can change.