The Recovery Guy Podcast

I am Responsible
Responsible is a word that only responsible people want to accept. I know that sounds simplistic in its presentation, and it is meant to be. Those who are irresponsible have made an active choice to not accept what their role is in the things that occur to them. More specifically, in addiction, the individual who is addicted is the person responsible for their addiction. Until I am willing to realize I am my own worst enemy I will not recover. If I do have a period of sobriety, more often than not, it will be shallow and short lived. That has been my experience. You can disagree if you like but that would likely mean you are not being responsible.

Being teachable is the prerequisite for learning anything. If I am not teachable in an overall perspective or in a specific area I wouldn’t find it necessary to be taught anything. With that, being teachable is to learning what air is to breathing.

I was watching the Masters this last weekend and I heard a commercial regarding the universe and a particular perspective. Lack of power was our dilemma. Outer space is so vast that we don’t know where it starts or where it ends. The same is true in recovery. We might be able to come close to where our addiction began. We might be able to discern the varying degrees of nature versus nurture, but pinpoint where it begins is near impossible.

“Above all take it one day at a time.” – Bill W. page 11 of How It Works

One of the most wonderful things about what I do as a person committed to personal recovery is working with others along the way. One of the most important things I convey to everyone is the importance of a firm foundation. If one is to build anything a foundation is required. It has been said “If the foundations are destroyed what can one do.” I’ve also heard “a house divided against itself cannot stand.“ So not only does the foundation need to be firm but an indicator of its firmness is it singleness of purpose. To paraphrase the Gandhi, Life is an indivisible whole and it must lack internal conflict.

One of the most beautiful things about the plan of recovery are the promises that are made. They are made to give us hope. They are exclusively for those who decide to apply the plan of recovery to their life. I was so encouraged when I came into the program of Alcoholics Anonymous because I was told “that if I worked the plan of recovery as it was outlined, I could expect these things to occur.“ They were 100% correct. I hope you have found this to be true for you.