Living A Clean, Sober And Prosperous Life!

“Success is the attainment of a worthy Goal or ideal” Earl Nightingale. Recovery begins at the onset of abstinence from the individual’s drug of choice. Successful recovery is the attainment of a worthy goal or ideal. There are two phases of the recovery process, rehabilitation and recovery. Rehabilitation is setting the groundwork, the foundation of the recovery process. Making the decision to abstain from mind-altering substances, implementing the principles, steps and strategies to eradicate the obsession to “use”. For example, an individual utilizing the 12-step approach to recover would complete the rehabilitation process after step-10 is implemented on a daily basis.

In 1956 Earl Nightingale recorded “The Strangest Secret”. At the time Earl owned a small insurance company. Earl actually recorded the session for his sales force to listen to while he was away for a trip. The recording became so popular that it was released to the public.

Earl did not claim that he had news of this suppressed secret of success. Actually he states just the opposite. In Earl’s humble words, it is not a secret at all. The teachings go back since the beginning of recorded time! The truth is that people fail to “Think”, they conform, Conformity! For the recovered individual conformity comes in two forms: 1) Conformity is often disguised as complacency. 2) Conformity comes when the individual stops focusing on their two recovery objectives.

Living a clean, sober and prosperous life involves focusing on two recovery objectives with a positive mental attitude in place: 1) Setting your family and personal goals. 2) Giving back to the still suffering and recently recovered addict & or alcoholic or some other worthy cause.

On Sundays I like to head to the beach. I was raised on Long Island and hitting the beach was a normal activity. I usually hit a local beach at Las Olas it is a Pacific Ocean beach. The under current at this beach is extremely dangerous and to top it off there are no lifeguards. People are cautious and respect the danger.

I enjoy walking the beach because it calms me and it gives me some additional exercise. I love to listen to the waves break, watch the various sea birds soar and the dolphins breach the surface. Life can often be like the waves. They come crashing in with a thunderous roar and settle on the beach. Yet right behind it is another wave breaking the shoreline one after another. At times seemingly beating the life out of you.

Early in my own recovery I remember hearing folks share how wonderful it was to wake up in the morning and hear the birds sing. In my insanity I would think, those damn birds are waking me up! I always held the negative perspective. However, over the course of time I learned that life is good. Life is enjoyable. I found out that if I believe that life is good and keep my attitude positive then good things happen. It is the doom and gloom attitude that dims the soul.

Developing an attitude of gratitude requires cultivation and time. Focusing on recoveries two objectives is a lifelong process. Nothing less will do.n