Finding Serenity
My topic for this week is serenity. I want it. ALL the time! ☺ Serenity now!!! When I was in treatment for 30 days, this last time 9 months ago (but fifth time overall), I found serenity – for the first time in my 35 years. I really felt the heaviness of all of my burdens come off of my soul after I did my third step and REALLY gave God control of my life. I literally can tell you the day that I felt serenity for the first time. I found it even more after step four and five. I believe everyone should take their own inventory, recognize their part in some of past hurts and resentments, and heal from them.
There are so many different struggles for my family and I right now – things that normally would send me over the edge, but with the tools and support I have I am able to go on. I wonder if it is a coincidence that I was tempted to drink very badly on my 9-month anniversary yesterday. I had a few bad things happen and for the first time in 8 months, I thought about having a drink. Until then, I had been totally disgusted with even the thought. Today, I am so incredibly grateful that I woke up sober and made it through a very hard week. I can do this with God’s help and AA.
I pray for serenity and peace everyday now, but some days are so much harder than others and I lose that sense of peace, and it takes a while to get it back. I have come up with a term for what I need every now and then to make sure I get it back. It’s called DETACH and RE-CHARGE. Or D&R for short. I need to go somewhere and get away from people, pray/meditate, and be still for at least 15 minutes. It helps me TREMENDOUSLY!!!
In the promises, the Big Book says, “We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 83)
What are some of the ways that you all find your serenity??? How do you bring it back when life is tossing waves at you??