When I began my recovery journey, it was early January, and I’d never kept a New Year’s resolution in my life. Every year, I swore to stop drinking, start going to the gym every morning, eat healthily, lose 20 pounds, stop cursing; the list went on and on. I wanted to change everything at once, and so year after year, I changed nothing. Actually, one thing changed: I became more and more sure that nothing would ever change. I knew a woman who had experience with recovery. She told me to call her if I ever wanted help. That day, I made the call. She must have sensed that I was afraid this was another sure-to-fail resolution. “It’s a new year and you can have a new life,” she said. She was right– I’ve had an entirely different life.
Many people feel as I did– I’ve come to realize most of what I feel someone else has felt before. (So much for my belief that I was totally original and unique!) I found that when I changed, everything around me changed as well. It took time, and effort, and honesty. And it took the help of others. Crossing a room happens one step at a time, changing the direction of a life happens the same way. One step at a time.
Thank you for sharing your story. You have such a special soul.