Oct 05: “Try not to live in the wreckage of the FUTURE”

“Try not to live in the wreckage of the FUTURE”

When I meditated on trying to figure out a great topic for this week, I was fortunate to be in a meeting at just the right time to hear just the right phrase that really saved me for that day – something that I use to help myself on a daily basis now. I thought that I would share with you all.

That phrase was “try not to live in the wreckage of the future.” We’ve all heard the phrase “try not to live in the wreckage of the past,” and through doing the steps – especially four and five and eight and nine, we get the ninth step promises. Or at least this alcoholic was able to.

However, 22 years or not, I am still human and still have challenges with dealing with “Just for today.” I am an admitted “projector.” And with everything that I am going through … even tho my last two surgeries were more successful than the surgeons predicted, I still can “catastrophize” anything.

This surgery that I am currently recovering from is the hardest thing, as of date, that I have had to deal with. The pain and the rehab are brutal, and the progress is very slow … very very very slow with two steps forward and one, sometimes two steps back. I am an alkie; I want it now!! And I certainly don’t want to have to work as hard as I have to to gain back what was lost! However, I must to the footwork!

Then the program kicks in … things like, “Just for today,” “progress not perfection,” “It’s the journey not the event,” and “Try not to live in the wreckage of the FUTURE.” I don’t know what my final outcome will be; however, it has been proven to me that my body is a lot stronger then I give it credit for. It just doesn’t heal like a normal person’s body. I have health issues that make it challenging, but not impossible … so … with that … I try to live in today. I celebrate the milestones like, I can finally drive very short distances and cook a bit on my own … and try not to overdo it (which I am good at doing … all or nothing … right?? NOT).

I am still a work in progress. It doesn’t matter that I managed to put 22 years of sobriety together. We all have just TODAY! And just for today, I will “try not to live in the wreckage of my FUTURE.” I will not project my outcomes. That is not my job. That is the job of my HP, and I certainly don’t want that job!!!

How do you stay in today? Are you a projector? Do you live in the wreckage of your FUTURE? I would love to hear your ES&H and again thanks for allowing me to share.