What. A. Week. I've spoken about reflection and getting to really notice, and enjoy, how different my life has become over the last year before. Not to mention the almost three-and-a-half years that I've been in recovery as a whole. Now, there have been ups and downs. But, I was spinning my wheels, all be it sober, but not really knowing where to go or what goals to set. It took almost two years of intensive outpatient treatment with Vivitrol shots, regular peer recovery coach walk n' talks, and therapy appointments to stay sober through what I can only describe as a bumpy ride through early recovery.
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Something switched in my life in late 2022. I went from white-knuckling sobriety and trying to carve something that looked, or felt, like a meaningful existence, to actually stepping into a life with meaningful relationships, emotional stability, and a purpose-driven future. We could talk about the changes in my spiritual life to, but you'll just have to catch me on the Redacted: Recover Your Mind Podcast for that. ;)
“I’ve yet to see any problem, however complicated, which when you looked at it the right way didn’t become still more complicated.”—Poul Anderson
I never would have believed you if told over a year ago that living a life in recovery would be this good. I have co-workers I value and trust like family, I have relationships with my family members that I never could have imagined would have healed as much as they have, I have ambitious friends who do things like take educational trips to India and learn to have fun through their complicated, yet sober, lives. Going to the UFAM Rally 2024 this week and getting to network and see some of the "satellite" connections I've been able to make across the recovery community, and the State of Michigan, has been so self-inspiring and just damn right good feeling.
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Now, I have lost my fair share of relationships in this process (changing up the people, places, and things coupled with learning what healthy boundaries look like will do that for you). But all of these "losses" were making way for the aforementioned blessings that I've gained.
Life, and having fun, in recovery have made this possible. Living in gratitude and trying to make the next right decision while traversing the stepping stones of life have been crucial to this process. You can have this too. We, at 217 Recovery, can help if you'll let us.
Tune in next time.
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