Perhaps the biggest motivating and uplifting morale boost in
the life of an addict is the acknowledgement of gratitude. In treatment, we
began every day with a meeting devoted to clients expressing gratitude for
something in their life, whether at home or in treatment. Imagine how much
better our lives would be if we did a first-things-first rundown every morning of everything
in our lives for which we are grateful. It was an absolutely vital focus, and
for good reason. Addicts are almost without fail using “at” something; focusing
on the things in life for which we are grateful transfers our focus from our
junk to our possibilities. When you aren’t fixating on how bad you have it you
appreciate just how good you have it.
As naturally fixating beings, we addicts have a tendency to
lock in with laser-like intensity on certain things in our lives. More often
than not, these end up being the negative day-to-day struggles. Unfortunately,
this doesn’t end when we get clean either. It takes a concerted, daily effort
to remember all the things for which we should be grateful. Most of us have
scores of positive things in our lives, but an addict will nearly without fail zone
in on the one or two negatives out of the bunch. It’s just in our nature.
One thing that helps maintain an “attitude of gratitude” is
to begin the day with a mental checklist of myabe 10 things in our lives for
which we are grateful on that day. We as humans just do better and lead happier
lives when we focus on all the good that is around us, all the blessings in our
lives. Days, weeks, months or even
years can be lost in the blink of an eye to being caught up in focusing on the
negative things in our immediate surroundings. For an addict, this can lead to
a relapse; at the other end of this relapse can be deadly consequences. Nearly
every daily happening has potentially dire effects for an addict depending on
the perspective with which he or she chooses to view it.
For what are you grateful today? What are you taking for
granted today? On what negative thing are you too fixated today?
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