Muhammad Ali once said “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” This is especially relevant to anyone who is in recovery. Most “normal” people change and modify their viewpoints as they travel through the various experiences that life sends their way. On the face of it, this seems very natural. Why shouldn’t this so?
Think about it. As we grow from child to teenager, to young adult, to adulthood; then on into “middle age,” and finally old age, we find ourselves dealing with people, places, and circumstances we could have never imagined. As we progress, life becomes more and more an adventure. We are tested daily. Our threshold for ignorance, hate, stress, indifference, and apathy are pushed to the limit. More and more, we come face to face with our shortcomings and deficiencies. We also (hopefully) experience a deeper appreciation for the good things that come our way. Births, weddings, vacations, or even just a quiet day to ourselves.
So what has really changed? Certainly, the world has not changed. What has changed is us!
For those of us in recovery, this change is one of our saving graces! If we are in the midst of a strong recovery, we have grown spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. Fear no longer rules our lives. We are no longer running from our past and its demons (mostly). With every day, we become more and more at ease with who we are, and we strive to become who we have the potential of being. We put in the work. More and more, we believe we do deserve a better life than the one we were living in our addictions.
Being a non-addicted, thriving, giving, grateful, productive, content you – isn’t that what recovery is about?
What your saying is so true, I came to realize that specially with my father being an addict for over 30 years you can tell he hasnt changed the way non addicted ppl do. He still has the mindset of an 18 year old. I shared your article on google+, also wrote a post on change called the fear of change @ http://lifesexperiencesandinspiringmoments.blogspot.ca/2013/02/the-fear-of-change.html hope you enjoy as much as I enjoyed this one.
Glad you enjoyed the post. I did try to leave a comment on your page – wouldn’t let me – just went blank. I’ll email the comment to you. Thanks again for stopping by. Hope to see you again.
The timing of our respective posts is interesting. I write about seeing things differently thanks to the perspective of two fellow bloggers. You write about going through change and having a greater appreciation for all things in life. All of these things connect in their own way and teach us valuable lessons. If we want to change, we have to be open-minded and willing to see, willing to change. Without that, we remain stagnant.
I have no experience with recovery but I do have experience with depression. It’s a challenge to move forward at times and embrace the many elements of life. I suspect the same can ring true with recovery. But, I suppose that when you are willing and ready to move forward and have the support you need, anything becomes possible.
Desire and support are important in all things, no? We just have to believe in ourselves and not let anyone or anything try to convince us differently. We do deserve to be well and happy and content. Thanks for stopping by to visit. Stop by again soon.