Last week I celebrated 14 years of sobriety. Although I was never incarcerated for driving under the influence I sure should have because I drove drunk thousands of times. Last month during one of my walks across Austin I came upon a do not drink and drive exhibition. Not only did I get to see what a jail cell looks like but I got the full treatment as though I had been convicted of that serious offence. One of the things sobriety has given me is "Emotional Freedom". For years I used resentments to justify the alcoholic life I was living. Slowly but surely the reality set in that I was the cause of those resentments. Freeing myself from all that negativity was essential if long term sobriety was ever to be obtained. Holding grudges, not getting what I thought I deserved and sometimes feeling mistreated could always stir up a large pot of resentments. Holding onto all those resentments was all too easy and that kept me in a state of anger half the time. There were lots of times I must have seemed like a sour person even though I didn't think so. A broken record of complaints consumed a life that I kept to myself, always trying to hide behind a mask of lies. Sobriety ripped that mask from me and replaced it with compassion and gratitude. Compassion, gratitude and especially forgiveness are really only a state of mind. They can penetrate the darkest of souls in the darkest of times. Don't misunderstand me, it's ok to get upset when someone does you wrong but the rage and stress associated with that wrongdoing only hurts the actor not the act. Ridding myself of so many resentments opened the secret life that exist beyond anger and has granted me another year of sobriety.
Last week I celebrated 14 years of sobriety. Although I was never incarcerated for driving under the influence I sure should have because I drove drunk thousands of times. Last month during one of my walks across Austin I came upon a do not drink and drive exhibition. Not only did I get to see what a jail cell looks like but I got the full treatment as though I had been convicted of that serious offence. One of the things sobriety has given me is "Emotional Freedom". For years I used resentments to justify the alcoholic life I was living. Slowly but surely the reality set in that I was the cause of those resentments. Freeing myself from all that negativity was essential if long term sobriety was ever to be obtained. Holding grudges, not getting what I thought I deserved and sometimes feeling mistreated could always stir up a large pot of resentments. Holding onto all those resentments was all too easy and that kept me in a state of anger half the time. There were lots of times I must have seemed like a sour person even though I didn't think so. A broken record of complaints consumed a life that I kept to myself, always trying to hide behind a mask of lies. Sobriety ripped that mask from me and replaced it with compassion and gratitude. Compassion, gratitude and especially forgiveness are really only a state of mind. They can penetrate the darkest of souls in the darkest of times. Don't misunderstand me, it's ok to get upset when someone does you wrong but the rage and stress associated with that wrongdoing only hurts the actor not the act. Ridding myself of so many resentments opened the secret life that exist beyond anger and has granted me another year of sobriety.
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