ACCEPTANCE MONTH: DAY 7: “Acceptance makes an incredible fertile soil for the seeds of change.”― Steve Maraboli
Only after we fully accept Step 1 can recovery begin. We are not going to participate in the real work of recovery until we know, with absolute certainty, that we are doomed. Even then, so many addicts are going to live miserable lives long into recovery.
They will deny their existence as humans, believing they are impervious to the demands of the body, mind, and spirit for wellness. This means we will continue to hang onto old ideas and ways of being that are Ego-driven.
Power and manipulation in all areas are two of our favorite Ego defenses that are going to cause us pain and suffering long after we stop using and drinking. Believing we have control over things that are not in our job description keeps us anxious and depressed, angry and disturbed. The longer this goes on, the longer we kill ourselves with the same old ideas about life.
Acceptance means that we CAN change things, but only our part in them. I can rant and rage against life or I can adapt to the way things are and learn to live with it in some measure. My experience is that I get to accept all of it; and I must continue to WORK really work, to accommodate life on its own terms, not mine.
This is not a passive agreement with life. It is work. It is getting off my ass and moving through resistance and doing what is demanded by life. In every area. No matter what. No stories, no BS about being unique and special and different than others. Just work…and a lot of it…but the most wonderful work I have ever been given.
Dolphin Hug 