Giving up alcohol or drugs is a great start, but it is not going to be enough to ensure that you will get the most out of life. A great life is definitely up for grabs, but the individual will need to work for this. The reality is that nobody gets a free ride in life. It is always going to be up to us to get the most out of life, but the fact that we are sober puts us in an ideal situation to make this happen.
How to Get the Most Out of Recovery
What follows are just a few tips for how you can get the most out of recovery.
Develop a Beginner’s Mind
Beliefs and opinions can be helpful because they allow us to navigate the world, but they can also limit our options in life. To have a beginner’s mind does not mean that we can’t have beliefs and opinions. It just means that we are able to put these temporarily aside when we are faced with new ideas or opportunities. It also means that we limit our strong opinions, and that we are always prepared to change our beliefs when the evidence suggests that we should do this. Unless we have a beginner’s mind we will not be able to learn anything new. If we think that we already have all the answers it just keeps us trapped in delusion.
Make Your Childhood Dreams a Reality
When we become sober we are in an ideal position to start working towards goals and making these a reality. Why not work to achieve your childhood dreams? There are many examples of people who entered recovery and were then able to achieve amazing things. If you put the same motivation into something positive as you did into addiction, you may be able to do what seems to others to be impossible. It is sometimes said that people who fall into addiction are weak willed, but the opposite is true – it takes a great deal of determination to put up with the pain of substance abuse. You will not be able to use this determination to make real those things that will make you happy.
Enjoy the Process as Well as the Goals
Working to achieve goals in recovery is encouraged, but it is not such a good idea that people become goal orientated. This is because humans spend the vast majority of their life in the gaps in between achieving goals. If they are too focused on this one aspect of life, it will prevent them from getting the best out of life. It is therefore recommended that people are more process orientated. This means that they start to put their attention more on the process of achieving their goals rather than the actual goals. If people do not do this, they are going to struggle to be happy.
Learn to Deal with Failure
Failure is a part of life, and there is no real way to achieve anything without having the ability to face it. The only real failure though, is the person who gives up. In order to achieve anything of importance in life the individual is likely going to need to fail many times. It is actually these failures that allow them to develop the skills they need in order to achieve their goal – so long as they are willing to learn from their failures of course. It is sometimes said that failure and obstacles are not there to stop people from achieving their goals, but to discourage those who do not really want the goal. It is all a matter of perception, and learning to view failure as a friend makes a great deal of sense.
Learn to Appreciate Challenges in Life
It is unfortunate but humans only seem to develop and grow when we suffer. When life is going well we just tend to coast along. This is why it is sometimes said that pain is to touchstone for spiritual growth. We can look upon the challenges that come our way in life as our friend or our enemy. If we choose to look at them as our enemy we will be entering a battle in which we have no choice of winning. It is more logical to think of these challenges as our friends. They are pushing us towards inner peace and happiness. Every time that we overcome a goal we gain new knowledge and skills. A metaphor for this would be that we are gaining new tools for our toolbox. When we have enough tools life will become effortless and we will enjoy a constant sense of inner peace. This is the direction in which these challenges are taking us if we let them.
Learn to Accept Your Addictive Past
You would not be where you are today without all the things that happened to you – this includes the bad as well as the good. If you happen to like where you are today, it would be misguided to regret your addiction. It was part of your journey. Of course, we should feel regret for the people we hurt and try to make amends. If people are diligent in their recovery they will reach a point where they will not regret their past because they realise that it has gotten them to where they are today.
Enjoy the Journey of Life
Life is an exciting journey, and there is no telling where it is going to take us next. It is beneficial to try and recapture some of that wonder that we enjoyed as children. The problem with getting too hung up on our opinions and beliefs is that it takes away much of the fun o living. It is better to be like children who wake up each day to a world of possibilities. We owe it to ourselves to get the most out of sobriety by developing this approach.
