Posted by Steps to Recovery on December 6, 2012
Recovery is all about giving things up to reclaim your whole self and start living a fulfilling, happy life. Creating happiness for yourself is so important, especially in recovery, because it will be so much easier to remain sober if you are satisfied with how things are going in your life. If you feel comfortable in your life, you will work much harder to stay sober. You have already suffered enough through your addiction, you deserve to find happiness in sobriety. Here is a list of just 3 things to give up in recovery besides drugs and alcohol that will help you be a happier person.
Needing to always be right. One of the most important ways we learn is by making mistakes. People who refuse to acknowledge their mistakes have a hard time learning anything. The reason people can become insistent about being right all the time is that their beliefs and opinions are too closely connected to their self worth. They think if their beliefs are wrong it means that they are wrong, which isn’t true. People are allowed to be wrong. It’s GREAT to be wrong. How boring life would be if we knew everything, if we were always right!
Participating in negative self talk. We all have an internal dialogue which influences how we feel about ourselves. People with low self esteem have an inner voice that is constantly negative and critical about everything. This inner voice is always telling the person all kinds of things that are demeaning and keep the person feeling badly. It is so important to start using your “friend voice” for yourself. Would you say the things you tell yourself to a friend or loved one? Not in a million years. Turn the friend voice on yourself, it will feel weird at first but in time it will make a huge difference in your happiness.
Attachment to things or certain conditions. The Buddha advised his followers that they should free themselves from attachment, which is sage advice. However, it’s not necessary to be a Buddhist to benefit from this. Recovery is all about developing serenity and emotional sobriety. This means that the individual develops an inner tranquility that is not dependent on external conditions. By giving up attachment on things being a certain way or to physical things, the person is able to enjoy peace no matter what is happening in their life.
These are 3 simple yet highly effective ways to find deeper happiness and contentment in sobriety. What did you do to find happiness through your recovery?
