Wisdom Of The Rooms - 2023

[bluidkiti]

June 19

Quote of the Week

"The two things an alcoholic can’t deal with are adversity or prosperity."

I used to think the reason I drank so much was because my life was so hard. There was a time when I barely made enough to pay my bills, my credit cards were maxed out, and I lived in a tiny rental. I had let myself go physically and had no satisfying relationships. Each morning I woke up and thought, Oh, God, another day! I lived to drink as this was the only time I felt better, and I thought that if only my life got better, then I wouldn’t have to drink so much.

A couple of years later, my life did turn around. I got a really good sales job and started making more money than I could count. I bought a house and got a hip girlfriend. As I got more successful, however, I just drank more. Suddenly I was buying expensive champagne and wine, and I moved on to designer vodka as well. As my drinking swirled out of control, I soon lost most of the things I had, and all I had left was my alcoholism.

One thing I have learned in recovery is that the extremes of adversity or prosperity are dangerous things for a self-aggrandizing alcoholic. When things aren’t going my way, I become resentful and demand the things I feel I deserve. When things are going well, I demand even more. The restlessness and discontent I feel as an alcoholic simply can’t be sated by money, property, or prestige. Instead, serenity and contentment come from the inside by working a spiritual program and developing a relationship with a Higher Power. Today, I am grateful for what I do have, and when I wake up, I now thank God for another day.