Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

February 26, 2018

“The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.” –Charles Dubois

If sobriety and recovery relied solely on changing behaviors, they would be easy to achieve.  However, sobriety and recovery connect to a deeper sense of who we are.  Am I willing to be single for a while?  I have always been a flirt.  Who am I if I give this up?  What does it say about me that I am impacted by fear and pain (withdrawal)?  What does it mean if I don’t have the answers?  These questions are all related to sobriety and recovery but their answers require significantly more than behavioral changes.  Finding consistent, true sobriety and recovery means addressing head on these deeper questions in order to discover what we could become.

When have I struggled with what changing a behavior or interaction meant about me?  What has this struggle and lack of change cost me?  What gifts await me as I move toward sacrificing what I am for what I could become?