The Next Right Thing
Today I took care of business: I bought health insurance (my first in 15 years). In order to renew my Turkish residence permit this year, insurance is required. In the past I would have boiled over with resentment, moaned about spending the money, and done nothing until it was almost too late. Today, I did the next right thing. Or the next indicated thing, as someone in GROW so beautifully put it.
I recently celebrated one year sober and my willingness to take care of the business of living is the biggest change I’ve noticed in myself. I’m starting to believe that doing the next indicated thing is enough to get me through the rest of my life. I don’t feel the need to collect praise for *accomplishments* anymore. I want to take care of stuff.instead of waking up to find I can’t have a hot shower because there is no gas.
Although *do the next right thing* kept me doing laundry, cooking dinner and attending meetings, up until quite recently I would have tried to get my boyfriend to refill the gas card. Or call the embassy to see what kind of insurance I needed. In other words, I am in the habit of enlisting other people to take care of things I really don’t want to do. I feel entitled to have others take care of me. Who knew?
This behavior was invisible to me before last week! Every time I read a GROW share that starts: “It wasn’t until I was 5 years sober that I realized.” I have to take a breath. And remember that HP is giving me just what I can handle today. So I’m gearing up for more surprise revelations down the road!
What was the most amazing change you went through your first year sober? What were some of the behaviors or realizations that took longer to uncover? Thank you for letting me be of service. I look forward to your esh.