Happiness and Fulfillment
All my life, until I was in the program for quite a while, I looked *out there* for my happiness and fulfillment. It was always up to you, whoever you were, to provide it. It never occurred to me that happiness is an inside job.
After a few years in the program I got the book “Each Day a New Beginning” and the reading for Nov.17 finally clicked in. What the whole page boils down to is this “Happiness is my decision, every moment”. Happiness is the gift I get when I approach my life with gratitude. I wish that I could have this be present in my life *every* day, but I am human and my character defects and my fragile ego get in the way too often for that. If I were to compare my life now to the one I used to live – there is no comparison. I am fully appreciative and grateful for all the blessings I have and I try not to get too despondent when things are not smooth sailing. If I had made a list of the things that I wanted to get from sobriety when I got here I would have seriously short changed myself.
Every day when I wake I read pages 86-88 and ask my HP for sobriety and his guidance for my day. Then I try to do something worthwhile and be productive in some small way. I make phone calls and receive them. I stay in touch with sponsees and my sponsor and at night I thank God for my day. I truly believe that if I can keep one hand in my HP’s and the other in the hand of an alcoholic I won’t have a hand to pick up a drink.
This week please share with us your feelings on happiness and fulfillment or anything else that you need to share. It is your meeting.