August 13

”You can’t build a reputation on what you intend to do.” Liz Smith

Most days I set out with good intentions. I start with a prayer, read a daily meditation, and commit to being in recovery. Yet it still happens that I fall into the routine of my day and my program takes a back seat, present but mostly forgotten or ignored. I somehow make it through the day until something triggers me and then I snap back into recovery mode. This can happen several times throughout the day. I need to actively make recovery and my tools an integral part of my day. Taking sanity breaks to say the Serenity Prayer, reach out to a friend in the program, simply pause, breathe and refocus on the present – all these will help me guard against trigger moments. I can choose to be more proactive in working my program rather than reaction to situations that challenge me. It takes more than good intentions to make my recovery a reality. It takes action and work on my part to put the tools into practice. If I want to change my reputation, how I feel about myself, and remove my secret life, I need to take the steps to make the knowledge I am gaining visible to myself and others. It will take effort, sweat and tears to change into the recovering person I intend to become.

Affirmation It’s my deeds today that will reflect how much I have changed in recovery, so let’s get to it and do it!