To the person reading this who recently slipped up, tripped up, relapsed or drank... If you want to beat yourself up for your 'failure', go ahead, I understand it. But when you get a chance, walk over to the mirror and give yourself a break.
Recovery from alcohol is a bitch! This stuff is hard, real hard at times, and life doesn't always cut us some slack. If you're like EVERYBODY else, you are repeatedly faced with tough situations, tough emotions and tough decisions. Removing alcohol from our lives does NOT mean life instantly gets better. WE will continue to get bad news about our personal and professional lives, WE will continue to get cut off in traffic, deal with family issues and WE will still encounter jerks in our day to day lives that make us feel like we NEED to drink. 'Life without alcohol' is still life, it's just 'life without alcohol', but how we deal with it is a freedom that sobriety rewards us.
So this morning when you are down on yourself for failing this or struggling with that, please realize that you are HERE!! You have already shown that you are destined to WIN! Just by reading this post on this sobriety support page you are demonstrating that you have what it takes to achieve that which you deserve. You are back here where you belong and that takes effort. You have been knocked back by a mother of all maladies whose whole purpose is to kill you. You survived yesterday, you got back up and when the bell rang for today's round, you answered it! You took every punch that life could throw you yesterday and you are back. That is the definition of a WINNER!
The only way WE will fail is if WE stop fighting and trying. This sobriety is a work in PROGRESS, it has highs and lows, wins and struggles, and is only won when we keep coming back. Kudos to US for being here. What happened yesterday means nothing today. Whether you failed yesterday, struggled or succeeded in every detail of your day, WE all have the same clean slate for today and all of us have the opportunity of filling that thing out with wins or those other things. Take what happened yesterday and pick out the things that will help you win today. Leave the rest behind where it belongs. WE can't change the past, but we are limitless of what we can do in the present.
So if you are beating yourself up because of a day count, or some other streak that suffered because of a mistake or slip, try to celebrate that you are here, back for another round. Just seeing you here is inspiring someone else. Your presence is making someone realize that they are not alone. You are proof that all of us flawed individuals that actually deserve to be on this big team, a team of normal everyday run-of-the-mill souls that need each other to succeed.
Thank you for coming back and showing me that this thing is possible. You are giving me the gift of hope and a much needed belief in myself. Sorry Booze, You Lose!!
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