In my recovery community, we place a strong emphasis on feeling grateful. In fact, I feel as if a majority of the meetings throughout November are primarily about gratitude. Today I felt a little blah. Thinking about a few painful memories and needed a boost. Thought back to my early recovery days when it was strongly suggested to create a daily gratitude list. It will always brighten my day and outlook on life.
Mirriam-Webster Full Definition of gratitude: the state of being grateful
Let me count the ways:
- Lowery’s Meat Market – to have the opportunities to purchase enough meat to fill our freezer. In 2000, I would visit the food bank and rely on food stamps while living in a sober living home.
- Gainfully employed – the opportunity to work for an agency that’s sole purpose is to keep kids safe.
- Sober 21 years – to remember how sobriety felt impossible while living inside a bottle. Two weeks felt like a long time, in the beginning.
- Husband beat cancer seven times!
- Great relationships with my parents – didn’t talk with my mom for 4 years (in sobriety) and disowned by my father. My dad is my best friend. Someone who I can talk to about most things. Mom and I spend time together and laugh.
- Two amazing dogs, Roscoe and Bella.
- Husband who loves me. Together for 18 years.
- Finally understand PTSD and sought help in facing my military journey.
- Graduate school.
- My homegroup members
- Comfortable home with zero mortgage.
- Paid off 1/3 of the loan for my vehicle.
- True friends I can lean on when times are tough.
- God’s grace – to see and experience his will in my life
- Phone calls with my dad
- Paying off bills
- Self-care opportunities
- Norwegian crime series
- Virtual meetings
- Learning my limits
- Military benefits
- Generator set up in case power outage
- Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Popcorn, especially the Chicago style kind!
- Snowplow services
- FB social media groups allows for me to read so many positive messages from people in recovery or seeking community support
- Snow pants
- Running water – use to hear someone say she was grateful for a toilet that flushes every time she sat in a gratitude meeting
- At one point, I was not allowed home. Today is different and I attribute this to living a 12-step way of life and faith in God.
“The man without any shoes cried until he met a man without any feet.”
Now, I am feeling better. Spent too much time reflecting on negative stuff, today. Have a great week!
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around” – anonymous
Best,
Nicole
Over the years, I have grown to understand how gratitude serves as a key component of continued sobriety. Thank you for this post and the reminder it provides to all of us living life in recovery.