October 17

”Great is the road I climb, but the garland offered by an easier effort is not worth the gathering.” Sextus Propentius

It’s often said that the best things in life are free. This certainly was an attitude that I had in my active addiction, but in a twisted and perverse sense, stemming from entitlement more than from need. Realistically, when I look back at my life, while many of the things that mean the most to me might be free in the sense of not costing money, the things I value such as love, patience, hope, and my children, have had a great price in the sacrifice, effort and time I have needed to commit to them. Very rarely does anything that is simply handed to me truly impact my life. It’s all the things that I have to struggle to achieve, that come from hard work and dedication, set-backs and disappointments, failure and persistence, that matter more. Those things I have to fight for are what I appreciate most. It is not that I try to find the hardest way to do things or continually reach for what is way beyond my grasp. But it is those times where I toil, where I face difficulties that I feel most rewarded when I reach the goal. It is strife that can give me the opportunity to grow and be thankful for the road I needed to travel.

Affirmation Struggle is not a bad thing, I need to see these difficulties as opportunities to grow, to overcome the hurdles and learn the lessons my Higher Power believes I need.