Any alcoholic or addict new to recovery has surely heard someone in a meeting say something like, “Recovery has given me a life beyond my wildest dreams!” If you haven’t heard anybody say this, you will at some point. And the truth is, they aren’t wrong. But of course, this whole concept may sound absolutely absurd, especially to those of us who are brand-new to recovery.
Typically, when we seek treatment and first enter the rooms of recovery, our lives are in shambles. We’re dealing with the fallout and consequences of a life overtaken by alcoholism or addiction. How could recovery grant us a life beyond our wildest dreams?
We admit that it probably sounds crazy at first, but take a look around the next time you’re fellowshipping or at a meeting. Look at all the alcoholics and addicts who are sober in recovery. Listen to how long they’ve been in recovery. Listen to their laughter and their crazy stories. Listen to all the fun stuff they get to do, and how grateful they are to get to do it. Look at their smiles and how they take care of themselves and others. And then remember that not too long ago, they were in the same position that we are.
Are you starting to see it yet? Living a life beyond our wildest dreams in recovery may sound too good to be true or even downright crazy, but trust us, it’s the truth. In case we still need some convincing, let’s take a closer look at this saying and the meaning behind it.
Life in Active Alcoholism or Addiction
For those of us who are new to recovery, it doesn’t take much reminding to remember what life was like in our active disease. But then again, how quickly we forget. When alcoholism or addiction controlled our lives we were miserable, suffering, and hopeless. After all, that’s why we sought help and the rooms of recovery. We couldn’t take it anymore and we wanted a way out. Well, we luckily found it. Yet here we sit, disbelieving the possibility of joy and fulfillment. It sounds like a strange position to take, doesn’t it?
We didn’t have the answer to our alcoholism or addiction problem, so we found the people who do have the answer. They not only tell us it works, but they show us how well it works. Yet when they say that the solution transformed them and their lives, we scoff. How could the solution to the disease give us a life beyond our wildest dreams?
The answer is in the question. Part of the reason why recovery gives us a life beyond our wildest dreams is because the Twelve Steps give us freedom and recovery from alcoholism and addiction. When we first ask for help, that’s really all we want anyway. That’s our first dream come true right there. The 12-Step solution really works.
Gratitude
With theTwelve Steps, we can find freedom and recovery from alcoholism and addiction. That right there should be enough to make any alcoholic or addict eternally grateful. But of course, we are stubborn people. Sadly, recovery alone is often not enough to keep us grateful. And it doesn’t have to be, because the longer we actively work the 12-Step program, the more we will find to be grateful for.
First things first, we should indeed be super grateful that we have found the method we can use to achieve freedom and recovery from alcoholism and addiction. Beyond that, we will be given a host of things to be grateful for. In fact, we will likely find ourselves improving across the entire spectrum of our lives. Many of us find that things get better at work, at home, in our relationships, and especially when it comes to our minds and emotions.
Think about that for a second. Not only do the Twelve Steps help us break free and recover from our disease, but they also help us improve every single area of our lives. The Steps can improve our happiness and performance at work. They can increase the love and openness of our relationships, and they can help us achieve peace and balance emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Sounds like another dream come true to us!
Growth
Recovery also provides constant opportunities to grow as people in whatever directions we wish. Whatever we feel called to be or do, recovery can help facilitate us growing towards it. We can remake ourselves and our lives in recovery. That’s because breaking free from our disease allows us to be the real us, without the lash of alcoholism or addiction driving us.
That’s right, the Twelve Steps can help us grow in the direction of our dreams. In recovery, many people find the chance to be who they’ve always wished to be and to live the life they’ve always dreamed of. And those who pursue their dreams in the spirit of recovery almost always find far more than they bargained for. Inner peace. Gratitude. The daily chance to grow, to learn, to improve, and most importantly, to help others. It may not sound like much right now, but for those of us who were once dying of alcoholism or addiction, recovery truly provides us with a life beyond our wildest dreams.
At Jaywalker Lodge, we firmly believe in the transformative power of the 12-Step program of recovery. The Twelve Steps are a course of spiritual action designed to produce the necessary psychic change and vital spiritual experience that bring about freedom and recovery from the disease of alcoholism and addiction. We believe that everyone deserves recovery and that anyone can recover if they are willing to do the work with honesty and open-mindedness. We also believe that life in recovery is not about paying for our past, but living a life of joy, happiness, meaning, purpose, and abundance. A life like that truly sounds like a dream come true! Here at Jaywalker Lodge, we are living proof that the 12-Step program of recovery works and that dreams really do come true. If you are ready to experience freedom, recovery, and a life beyond your wildest dreams, we’re ready to help you get started. Call Jaywalker Lodge now at (866) 529-9255.
