Recovery is the Easier, Softer, Way

These times are challenging for us all. The whole lockdown situation that we all find ourselves in and the fears over this virus out there are hard things to go through, not to mention our own personal struggles. Being in recovery is not for the faint of heart and the challenges those face in recovery are at times overwhelming and can feel like a drink or a drug would make it all better and give some relief.

These thoughts are common for recovering persons, but the reality is that staying clean and sober IS the easier, softer way. The term “the easier, softer way” is a common term in the rooms of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous and what it means is that addicts and alcoholics often want to avoid doing the work of recovery and want an easier and more gentle way.

I am here to tell you that if nothing changes, then nothing changes. Recovery is the easiest way that we can get. It is the way out for us. It is the chance at a new life that we can live without the insanity of addiction and all of that goes with that. These are simple truths that are what we in recovery have learned and for the most part, have learned the hard way.

Recovery is a process. It is a process that requires hard work and in that sense, it is not easy, but it is much easier than the alternative. That alternative being the prison of active addiction. That certainly is not easy and if you ask anyone who has survived the hell of addiction to drugs or alcohol they will tell you just that, it is no walk in the park and recovery is the better and easier way.

Addicts and alcoholics often want the easier, softer way in their programs and want to skip certain things and have an easy time with it, but that is not in my experience something that works that often. In order to recover the right way it is important to learn the hard lessons and that means doing the hard work that is asked of us in recovery.

This is not always as easy task. It requires work.

It also requires that we face our demons, something I talked about in another article, just recently. These things are not easy, but as previously stated, they are much easier than the consequences that come our way from our use of drugs and alcohol and much easier than the messes that we get ourselves in when we pick up.

During my recovery I have had some hard times, but they are not nearly as hard as what I got out there. Out in the drinking and using world the party often becomes a nightmare and what once seemed like a fun time becomes something entirely different. The good times become less frequent and the consequences grow the one we drink and use and what used to be a thing we enjoyed, becomes something we must do.

This is active addiction, once we cross over to that point. The way that we continue on the journey of recovery is to find a way to have serenity and work the steps thoroughly and honestly.

I have found that the steps are the way out of pain, stress, and a path to that next drink or drug. They are a way to get out of my way and out of my will and into God’s will and the right way of living and continue on the journey of recovery.

The way that we do this is to let go of the things that hold us back and accept our difficulties that we cannot change while changing the things that we can change. We can do this if we see what is holding us back and have awareness, acceptance, and action. The three A’s.

Acceptance

“Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.” This is the famous line on page 417 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is true and it took me a long time to realize this. Acceptance of our addictions is key to overcoming them and this is true for other problems that we face in life as well.

In order to overcome things, we must first accept them. I find it important to accept where I am at in life if I am to move forward. I do not have to like the situations that I go through, but I have to accept it as being just the way that it supposed to be in this moment and if I can do that, then I am well on my way to having peace and serenity.

Awareness

Before acceptance comes awareness, or after in some cases, depends on the person. I must be aware of a situation and aware of my feelings on that given situation for growth to take place. Until I was aware that I had a problem with drugs and alcohol, I could not get sober. First I became aware and then I did the third step of the three a’s which was action and then could finally get into acceptance.

Awareness is a key step in dealing with any problem. We must be aware of something in order to change it. If we are unaware then we cannot change as awareness is the key to change. Awareness is also part of the easier, softer way of recovery. We become aware and then we take action and that is how we get into acceptance and things change, within us.

Action

Action is what changes things. Awareness and acceptance are important and have their own roles in the recovery process and in life successes, but action is where it is at. Action is the cure all. Actually, it is “massive action is the cure all”, the way motivational speaker Tony Robbins says it anyway.

We can be motivated, but until we take action then things do not change and when things do not change then we do not move forward. Action is the part of the recovery process where we begin to grow and where we become the people that we always wanted to be, yet never could become.

Action is how we accomplish things in life. It is how we grow and it is how we get better.

I believe that until we take action then we do not get results. Actions yields results, both positive and negative ones. Action is the third step in this process and action is the program of recovery. Action is the program of life and the thing that we must do to get anything in life, when we act then that is when we grow and change.

Recovery is the easier, softer way. It is a gift, but it is not free. It requires work, it requires faith, it requires us doing more than we have ever done in our lives and it is no small feat. It can be hard at times, but it is worth it. It is easier than living in the hell that we used to live in and while it takes everything we got, it is softer and easier than the way we lived before.

This much I know!