One of the most amazing things about Recovery or all the things that we need to consider as we move forward on our journey. I stop drinking and using once, but my recovery is new daily and will continue for the rest of my life. It is one of the reasons that I would not trade this recovered life for another drink or another drug. The exhilaration and fulfillment that comes living a life in recovery far outweighs any temporary sense of relief or pleasure that I gained under the influence. Matter of fact anything positive during my using was quickly negated by the consequences. What are the things I had to realize is that I could not become who I needed to be while staying the way I was. This may seem like an obvious statement, but when you are amid a progressive physical, psychological, physical, and mental illness the most basic of common sense escapes you. I thought I could become what would save me while I continued down a path of destruction. I began to view me as a failure rather than the choices I was making were causing me to fail it was through this failure in my circumstances and situations that I used as evidence that I could not live this conflicting life anymore. On one hand I was saying I wanted to live while I was doing everything to my demise and detriment. This became my guideline to change. One of the first things I needed to do was increase my hope. I’ve come to believe that men and women are limited by the size of their hope. Because I had no hope, I had no future. John Maxwell said, “when there is hope in the future, there is power in the present.” I wanted that power derived from hope. Furthermore no one wanted to Help me because you cannot help a person move forward when they have decided to stay in one place. I had to begin to act as a say I wanted to live. I began to love my new life which was what I needed to succeed.
Because of the above, an individual’s self-concept is the core of their personality. Self-talk makes a difference on each side of the coin. I believe a strong and positive self-image is the foundation of a positive, strong, and productive life.
Robert Pardon
Robert is the Recovery Guy. Getting clean and sober on April 25, 1986 has given me the insight and practical skill set to not only stay sober, but to also re-invent myself to the person I always wanted to become. Showing others how to do this is my life goal.
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