"Ideas, emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces of our lives are suddenly cast to one side, and a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to dominate us." — Alcoholics Anonymous
Change is a bitch.
For most of us, change has always meant loss. We have to give something up, leave something behind, or let go of what feels comfortable. Even when the old way is making us miserable, at least it's familiar.
The Twelve Steps slowly help us to see it differently.
What if change isn't loss at all? What if it's transformation without loss? Every resentment we let go of makes room for peace. Every fear we face makes room for courage. Every selfish decision we stop making leaves room for usefulness. We aren't becoming less. We're becoming more of the person alcohol never let us be.
It doesn't happen overnight. At first, every change feels like a fight. But after enough experience, we begin to trust the process. We stop asking, "What am I going to lose?" and start wondering, "What gift is waiting on the other side of this?"
And when that way of thinking starts coming naturally... that's a hell of a psychic change.
What change in recovery felt like a loss at first but eventually became one of the greatest gifts in your sobriety?
