Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

October 3, 2016

“We will stumble and fall in the learning process, but success can only be reached when we are prepared to take those steps, all of them, even the ones where we fail.” –Bob Proctor

In recovery, the individual who recognizes they are an addict, gets sober, and moves smoothly and consistently into recovery is a myth.  The success of sobriety comes with steps forward and steps backward.  It is easy to appreciate moments of success and learning.  However, there is much to be gained from our struggles and failures.  When we deny our struggles or failures, we slow (or eliminate) our growth and progress.  When we acknowledge and learn from our struggles and failures, we make future success possible.  While aiming for failure is counter-productive, it is important to acknowledge and learn from struggles and failures in sobriety and recovery.

When have I denied struggles or failures in my program?  What were the ultimate consequences of not learning from these moments?  What gifts await me if I acknowledge and learn from my “steps, all of them, even the ones where we fail”?