Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

October 24, 2016

“Commitment is healthiest when it’s not without doubt but in spite of doubt.” –Rollo May

It is easy to make a commitment when we are naïve or in denial.  A commitment made in the moment may seem easy and we may fully resonate with it.  However, life and situations change.  The same commitment may not feel comfortable one week, one month, or one year from now.  When making a commitment, having doubt about whether the commitment will be easy to honor is important.  Will I be willing to honor this commitment when I don’t want to?  It is equally important to recognize the limits of what you can commit to.  It is unrealistic for an addict to make a commitment to never relapse again.  Addiction recovery is lifelong work and some addicts, despite hard recovery work, act out again.  This reality must be acknowledged.  Therefore, a more realistic commitment is to consistently work your program with the honest intention of remaining sober for the rest of your life.

What are the challenges or realities that make honoring a commitment difficult?  What has the outcome been when I have made a commitment without acknowledging these challenges and realities?  What gifts await me as I acknowledge challenges and realities and make appropriate commitments “in spite of doubt?”