When life gets harder, challenge yourself to be stronger.
Active addicts are stuck in a rut. They’re not going anywhere, not doing anything, not affecting themselves, their loved ones, or the world in a positive way. Being stuck in a rut, whether that rut is addiction or some other aspect of life, is an indication that rather than facing and overcoming life’s challenges, you’re avoiding them. When you see an obstacle, you’re turning away from it and looking for an easier, softer way. And where does that get you? Deeper in the rut, that’s where. If you want to get out of your rut, challenge yourself. Take yourself out of your comfort zone and do something completely different. For some people, it’s walking into a 12-step meeting for the first time. For others, it’s going back to school, or training for an endurance race, or whatever. As Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says, “The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times…. The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.” That is what recovery is all about.
Just for Today
Identify a challenge you’ve been avoiding and take at least one step toward overcoming it.