ABCs of Recovery
 

A is for Acceptance. I don't have to like it. I have to accept it for what it is knowing that it is subject to change. I have to acknowledge it in order to let go of it, no matter what 'it' is or was.

Acceptance is the key to recovery. Without it we stay stuck.

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B is for Beautiful. Look around you, it is a beautiful day. The birds are singing, the sun is shining, children are laughing, and it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

We didn't see much of what was around us when we were using. So become aware of the Creator's many gifts and blessings.

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C is for Choices. We are granted freedom of choice as long as we stay clean and sober. When we are using, our freedom is taken from us by our drug of choice.

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D is for Dance. If you aren't enjoying recovery, what are you doing wrong? Get up and dance. You have something to celebrate. You are one more day, clean and sober.

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E is for Emotions. Acknowledge them, name them, and then let them go. Know that this too shall pass, the good and the not so good.

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F is for Forgiveness. We forgive the person, if we can't forgive the act.

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G is for Gratitude. Every day I am grateful to be alive and sober. If you can not think of anything to be grateful for, just look around you. Start a Gratitude List all of things you are grateful for, big or small. I think you will be amazed at how many things to be grateful for in sobriety.

H is for Help

Help another in his/her recovery, extend your hand!

I is for Integrity - Walk your talk!

J is for Joy. If you aren't enjoying recovery, what are you doing wrong? Are you comparing instead of identifying? Have you stoppe have you stopped going to meetings because you think you know it all. Have you stopped doing service or did you begin reaching out to others. The joys will come back to you.

K is for Keep Coming Back. Keep coming so you don't have to come back. Some day you might not make it as far as the recovery door.

Keep coming back to meetings. Keep coming back to the phones to call your sponsor, a friend, your clergy and/or a family member. Keep a strong support list with lots of phone numbers.

L is for Learn

Learn to take spot check inventories of yourself. (Do Not take inventories of other people - stay on your side of the street.)

Keep coming back:

At around the 5 years of sobriety, I thought that I didn't need to go to meetings anymore. I got this....Ha Ha...I didn't have it. Slowly my mind started to try to convince me that I can drink again. Instead of grabbing a beer or a bottle of booze, I went back to AA meetings. I keep coming back to keep myself grounded. I come back for support and to give support to others as well.

L is for Learn

Learn to take spot check inventories of yourself. (Do Not take inventories of other people - stay on your side of the street.)

M is for Maintain

Maintain a balance: spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental. By doing so, you are on the way to peace, serenity, and happiness.

N is for NUTS

Not
Using
The
Steps

O is for Open

Open your ears at the meetings. You take what you need and leave the rest. Not only open your ears, but also open your mind and your heart.

P is for progress, not perfection. In Al-Anon they say aim toward perfection. I am sure that many have already hit the bull's eye, but they forget that we have a progressive disease, and it is waiting in the wings waiting to jump us when we miss that target and start beating on ourselves. I have to say, "Pardon my humanness, just for today I choose not to use or abuse anyone, including me."

Q is for Quiet times

Set aside some quiet time in your busy day to meditate, read a devotion, reflect on your day, or pray.

R is for Remember. Not only Remember When, but what it was like in early recovery. I know I never want to go through detoxing again.

Remember what it is like to have real friends.

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S is for Sobriety. To achieve sobriety, I had to quit all substances in order to recover.

T is for Trust. Learn to trust your God. Through Him you will learn to trust yourself, then you can pass that trust on to others.

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I is for Unity. We can do what I can't do alone.

V is for Victory in Recovery.

W is for Why. Why not you. Are you so terminally unique that you should escape life. In recovery we are given the tools we need to deal with life on life's terms and we don't have to question Why, When, What, etc???

X is for 'Xtremes. As addict s we often have problems with balance. We go from one 'xtreme to another. It is all or nothing at all. We need to find that middle ground.

Y is for Yesterday

Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a Gift. That's why we call it the Present!

Z is for Zip. When we are new, we need to zip our lips and sit back and listen. As the slogan says. Learn to listen, Listed to learn. Once the fellowship got me talking, there was no shutting me up. Hey people I have found this new way of life, let me tell you all about it.

A is for Air

Air your resentments. don't bottle them up.

B is for Be

Be humble -- Humility is not in thinking of yourself more, but in thinking more of yourself less often. Watch the ego.

C is for Care

Care about yourself in order to recover and don't forget to care for the others too.

D is for Don't

H.A.L.T.

Don't become too hungry
Don't become too angry
Don't become too lonely
Don't become too tired

Take care of yourself!

E is for Easy Does It.

One of AA's great slogans. A good one to follow.

F is for Forgiveness. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. We need to do it for our own recovery.

G is for Get

Get plenty of restful sleep. ZZZZ! It is important to not get too tired. Getting a good night of sleep is one of the ways we take care of ourselves in our sobriety journey.

H is for HOW

Honest
Open-minded and
Willing

I is for integrity

Walk your talk!

J is for Joy. If you aren't enjoying recovery, what are you doing wrong. What brings you joy? What do you need to do to bring more joy into your life?

K is for Keep coming back, It works if you work it.

L is for Love. When you come from a place of love you can't go too far from your recovery road ??.