Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

May 1, 2017

“Look at this stone.  It has been lying in the water for a very long time, but the water has not penetrated.  Look, perfectly dry.” –Cardinal Lamberto, The Godfather: Part 3

Being in recovery is very different than doing recovery activities.  You can go to meetings and collect sobriety chips but if the message of sobriety and the experience of recovery do not penetrate, you will stay “perfectly dry” on the inside.  Going to meetings and letting the messages in, even the uncomfortable ones, is important for recovery.  Making phone calls when you are struggling and trusting the advice given is important for recovery.  It is easy to go through the motions.  The gifts of recovery come from allowing the program in and becoming saturated.

When have I simply gone through the motions of recovery?  How would internalizing the program be different?  What gifts await me as I absorb all aspects of the program?