Gifts of Sobriety - Maturity

This gift of maturity has cut the cord from self-seeking and self-centeredness.  Addiction brought a sense that I wasn’t getting what I thought I needed or thought I wanted.  This kept me immature and fearful.   Through maturity I see with clarity how what I thought I needed and wanted was not allowing me to grow. The underlying fear created all kinds of barriers. Today I receive maturity through living out my core values, specifically honesty. I’m so grateful I can show up in service for others without score keeping or expecting something in return.

Gifts of Sobriety - Choice

Once I received the gift of humility, the power of choice came quickly, and it brought the power to act and to make decisions for myself.  I have my personal power in perspective by seeing through faith that God is the True Power.  While in addiction, I had no choice in anything, alcohol stole everything from me, I was its slave, but in recovery, I know who I am and I have choice.  Today I choose love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness.

Gifts of Sobriety - Humility

If I had a favorite gift this one might be it! 

Humility has given me a strong sense of who I am and a clearer vision of myself.  I am no longer in judgement of myself.  With humility I can say, “This is what I did, it’s done.”  My mistakes/failures are simply my mistakes/failures; they do not define me.  I humbly forgive myself and ask for help to do things differently and use them for good moving forward.  Today, I see things as they are.  True humility gives me an understanding of self – I realize my limitations and acknowledge my strengths.  This quote crossed my path.  It reads: “The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you’re lower than yourself but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you the smallness of your greatness.”  Being great and small at the same time is an interesting idea.

Gifts of Sobriety - Wholeness

Connecting my feelings and beliefs with my actions has lead me to living a life of wholeness or integrity.  Unifying my inner and outer life creates completeness.   Today I know who I am, what I value, what my priorities are, and what I think and feel.  This is the first time in my life that I have made these connections and is all a result of living sober.

Gifts of Sobriety - Connection

This gift allows me to bring light into the darkness of alcoholism.  I am accountable – I show up when I say I will and no longer plan my life around alcohol and hangovers. I have come out from underneath addiction.

My drinking kept me exceedingly small, isolated, and in a place of secrecy and lies.   Over the years I have become confident and honest about my alcoholism and share it with anyone that it may serve.  I treasure connection with others and love the authentic relationships I’ve established in sobriety.

Gifts of Sobriety - Clarity

The gift of seeing the past clearly and gaining understanding is a gift of sobriety.  Clarity of past mistakes and failures I’ve made brings about self-honesty and self-forgiveness.  This has taught me how to forgive others, wish them well and let them go.  I’ve also learned through this gift how to embrace and live in the gray area, life is neither white nor black.

Gifts of Sobriety - Serenity and Peace

I accepted that I could not do this myself - alcohol is too powerful. I had to let go, be brave and ask for help.  This is the first time I had ever felt peace.  I learned the Serenity Prayer.  I use this prayer in all situations, it helps me discern, get clear about what the next right thing is and is not.  It began a new relationship with a Higher Power (which I call God).  My serenity comes from living my core values, redefined beliefs, and relationship with God. It feeds my freedom!

Gifts of Sobriety - Freedom

My very first inklings of a new freedom were upon awakening, knowing it was 6 am and not 6 pm.  Opening my eyes without my head pounding and my mouth parched.   Feelings of happiness and not of shame and guilt of what took place in the previous hours. At days end, lying my head on the pillow with a smile and a full heart with one more day of sobriety.

Today I am free from the obsessive drinking and obsessive thinking of drinking.

Acceptance and surrender signal the beginning of freedom and happiness.  Once I arrived at this place, my healing began.

Transformed Thinking #7

Your Thoughts Create Your Moods

Thoughts can create emotions of happiness, joy, positivity and love. Thoughts can also create the counter opposite, anger, bitterness, depression and negativity. In every moment of every day you have the opportunity to extinct stinking thinking! What will you choose and create today?

Transformed Thinking #6

Open Minded

Practicing acceptance of other’s opinions and ideas brings about an open mind. It allows us to receive wonderful people and opens up our world to experience the blessings they can bring into our lives. An abundance of opportunities will cross our paths when we practice this kind of thinking.

Know it all mindset leaves no space for anyone to be in our life. They have nothing to offer and nothing to give. You already know it all and you make sure they know it.