The task of recovery is enormous. Between you and your long-term sobriety stands a massive wall preventing your progress. It looms large and is a well-constructed and formidable obstacle. It contains multiple layers erected over time. Circumstances, situations, certain people and our own attitudes form this wall.
As the wall is examined, you’ll be reminded of dark times, distant failures, broken promises, and interrupted dreams. In our minds, past failings minimize our potential and magnify our inabilities. The mental block presented by the wall can be monumental. Breaking through this wall is our challenge. Each hammer blow against the wall moves us closer toward the ultimate goal of long-term recovery.
Knowing Without Seeing
Yet, you might think, “I hit it and nothing happened!” You went to a counselor, attended a meeting, read the books, went to treatment, sat in jail, talked to a sponsor, and still the wall remains–seemingly unshaken.
Hit it Again
Here’s the truth. Every treatment effort, every meeting attended, and each day of sobriety is another blow against the wall. Each time you exercise self-control, you gain strength. And if you slip, don’t see it as “back to square one.” Don’t wear the label of loser, addict, or worthless.
Rather than seeing your efforts as failure because the wall has not yet fallen, recognize that each subsequent hammer blow gets you closer to your goal. Hit it with all your might. Strike it with your support group cheering you on. Pound on it day and night. And one day, your strategically delivered hammer blow produces a crack. Perhaps today, with the very next hammer blow, the entire wall crumbles with a crash and long-term recovery is yours. Don’t give up. Instead, hit it again!
Recovery is a journey. Enjoy the ride!