January 19

”The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist.” J. Harold Wilkins

Accepting rewards or recognition has been a challenge as I recovery from my addiction. Through all those years of living a double-life, I rarely felt like I deserved to be honoured in any way, always having the thought of “if only you knew who I really was” running through the back of my head, crushing any inkling of self-worth I might have. I was certainly great at beating myself up and finding reasons why I shouldn’t have a better life, job, or whatever other kinds of successes that might have been part of my life. I am thankful that my views are changing as I continue to grow in my self-acceptance. As I become comfortable with who I am, as I am, my self-esteem cannot help but improve. Yet even still, accomplishments can be a challenging area. Even simple things like accepting recognition for the progress of my recovery can disrupt my serenity. I am learning, however slowly, to accept that I am worthy of praise from time to time. Achievement is recognition of my effort, and now that I am making a more honest attempt to life a good life, I can accept the acclamation of my success. I can celebrate my progress in healthy ways that promote my recovery, and give thanks to my Higher Power and all those who supported me in reaching my goal.

Affirmation I am worthy of recognition, I do things worthy of praise, and I am a good person.