There is a well-known phrase that reads “Absolute Power, Corrupts Absolutely.” This quote is attributed to Lord Acton. It is stated that John Edward Acton, the first baron, has expressed this opinion in his letter written to Bishop Mandell. The letter was written in 1887. The original statement reads; “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” However, it is stated that Lord Acton is not the primary originator of this quotation.
English politician, William Pitt the Elder, Earl of Chatham, and former Prime Minister of England from 1766-1778. He is stated to have said in the parliament that “Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it”, which is where we get, “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. As we dive into today’s podcast let’s look at what absolute means.
- Free from imperfection
- Free or relatively free from mixture: Pure
- Having no restriction, exception, or qualification
This definition helps underscore why whenever using absolutes one must be very careful, because what doesn’t come without failure or exception. There are 7 Universal Laws that are considered absolutes. These laws are relativity, vibration, polarity, transmutation, cause and effect, gestation, and the law of rhythm. These are considered absolutes because they have passed the scientific method of testing and verifying. Everything that happens in our existence is part of one or more of these absolute laws.
Today I want to speak with you about a recovery absolute that we can be as confident in as in the air we breathe.
Laura and I just finished watching season 1 of Perry Mason on HBO. It is a remake of Perry Mason that ran from 1957-66. It is so good. It is crime drama set in LA circa the 1930s. Anyway, Emily, the main character states “A turtle keeps it shell on its back so wherever it is they are home.” The minute I heard this, I thought of my recovery. My recovery is the shell on my back and wherever I am at I am home. Even Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz, said, “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t have to look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it, to begin with. There’s no place like home.”
That’s the absolute I am talking about. Once we reconcile our past and build our foundation on the principles of recovery we find the home we have always wanted. It becomes the shell that we live in. No matter where we go we will ALWAYS be home. We are NEVER alone anymore. This is what recovery offers us. So, when you choose what recovery path choose wisely. Choose the plan that gives you back to power to choose to wear your shell on your back. A path that has a provision to stay recovered for the rest of your life. A path that doesn’t require me to look backward at my past (except when helping someone). When we do this, we can live the absolute that our personal recovery is a journey for our lifetime. Here are 3 things I must do to ensure this is true for me.
- Stay grounded in the truth that set me free
- Be open to add new elements to my plan
- Pray for and assist others along the way
Doing these things will add to the absolute position I decided to take. Thanks for listening and be blessed.
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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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