Sobriety is a Journey
One Day at a Time
One of the first things you learn in AA is that you only need to worry about today. This was a big relief to me. When I decided to stop drinking and drugging, I was in no mood for it to be a final decision. Knowing I just needed to be sober for one day made it easier to start the process, which has resulted in 12,045 days so far. I only got here 24 hours at a time.
Photo by https://recoverychip.com/
“Don’t wait until you reach your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take,” Karen Salmansohn
I wrote this today because I stumbled upon the above quote. It was mistakenly credited to Simone Biles, and then I found it more reliably from Karen Salmansohn, a behavior change expert. With sobriety, there is no goal. If you have read me, you know I’m not a big fan of goals. I got sober because I got in the habit of not drinking or drugging every single day.
I take things one step at a time. Simone Biles
After 12,045 days, I can still tell you what drug or drink I would enjoy in what order. Hence the one day at a time to this day. I love psilocybin, cocaine, and marijuana. I am very fortunate I was never in a room with heroin; I may never have left. I’m most lucky that I was broke when I was introduced to cocaine. From a very young age, I liked to smell and taste of alcohol. I’m a straight-up kind of gal.
Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become.”
― Heraclitus
Heraclitus was a philosopher. My life has taught me that what he says is true. I became a Yoga Master by devoting myself to learning and practicing daily. I became a writer by getting up every morning and writing. I think a Major League Baseball player would say the same thing. We design who we are with our daily choices. Sobriety is one of mine that keeps me calm, centered, present, and alive.
“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” — Siddhārtha Gautama.
The present is the greatest gift. I’ll share a fun AA quote. You learn all kinds of great sayings in AA meetings. “If you have one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow, you’re pissing on today.” Another way to look at this is, “Abandon all hope for a better past.” It’s one of my favorites, making me laugh every time.
“The best way to predict your future is to create it, one day at a time.” — Peter Drucker,
That is the job of life. We all have the same job. Some people like to set goals. I envision a mission, detail the habits that will get me there, commit to these habits, and take it one day at a time to arrive at the mission.
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
― Marcus Aurelius
Aurelius was a Roman Emperor and a philosopher — a busy guy. I’ll end with one more quote from him.