Sometimes we get confused and think that living on a spiritual path means that we should be happy and get what we want, and that if we are not happy or ours is not happening, something is wrong.
Living Clean, Chapter 3, “Spirituality is Practical”
For many of us, our lives get so much better so quickly in the early years of recovery that it's natural to think we've found the key to happiness without life's difficulties weighing us down. It's nice while it lasts, but eventually, as one member puts it, "life is more than killing time between gatherings, and eventually I experienced difficulties despite working a pretty good schedule." Life isn't always fair – that's a fact. Sometimes we lose loved ones, homes and relationships, even when we are spiritually focused.
The results of everyday life are not always what we would hope for. Nevertheless, we learn how to get through situations by living according to spiritual principles. If we don't get the job we wanted or if a long-term relationship comes to an end, we hold on and stay clean. Our world may still be thrown out of balance from time to time, but as long as we stay clear, we can survive sadness, disappointment and uncertainty and return to balance again and again. We experience the full range of human emotions and marvel at the strength of our spiritual foundations.
Life is ongoing and we can choose how we want to participate.
Today I will not link my recovery program to the circumstances of life on its terms. I will be present in my life even when things aren't going my way and remind myself how much I have to be thankful for.
