Easy Does It

Many of us have lived our lives as if sex was the answer to everything and there was no such thing as enough.  When we enter SAA, some of us have a tendency to turn the intensity that we experienced in our addiction toward our recovery.  We throw ourselves into SAA and make grand pronouncements about all we intend to do for our program and all the old behaviors we will never do again.  The combination of our demoralization and our hopes for a better future often creates a fervor that can set us up for setbacks.  This is not to suggest that intention, commitment, dedication, and effort don’t serve us, but simply that moderation is equally as important.  Turning our will over to a Power greater than ourselves also includes letting go of trying to push our recovery.  Addiction is lifted in God’s time.  As we hear stories of people who no longer act out, we find we can begin to trust that the program works.  We can begin to unwind and slow down.  Recovery is a lifelong process that we are unlikely to outgrow.

This applies equally to all troubles, big and small, that we encounter as we go through our day.  When things aren’t going the way we think they should, or when it seems problems are piling up, we can slow it down.  Instead of trying harder to do more, we can pause and give ourselves some time to reassess the situation.  We may find that the tools we use to help us with our addiction may well be just what we need for many aspects of our life.  Often, within just a few hours or days, we regain perspective and things can feel more manageable.