The following is an excerpt from a speech given by Guiding Light Recovery success story, Adam, after celebrating his 1st year of continuous sobriety: “I like to start out by saying this kind of a quote that I kind of hodgepodge together from a couple different with my own little twist.”
“To find one’s self is a journey of a lifetime. Sometimes we need to struggle before we can learn to live.”
And I took that to heart when it came to this journey, when it came to guiding me. But that being said, I had to go through both struggles and my own addiction in order to have that want and the desire to live a different way in this world. With very little faith in myself or a higher power, I had very little love or compassion, not just for myself, but for all those around me. With the surrendering of my pride and my own will, I had finally realized a drastic change in my life had to be made. Living that variable of insanity and isolation had to stop. I no longer wanted to be that man who had to start his day with a drink and ended up with the same destructive path. I knew changing an almost-15-year habit was not going to be any easy feat. I knew that feeling of being vulnerable and uncomfortable was just the very beginning to my recovery. With finally realizing I was powerless over alcohol and ready to make change, I needed to check myself into a five-day detox facility. Shortly after completing that first step of my recovery, I was accepted into the Guiding Light program. Being here at Guiding Light, I was taught many qualities a person needs to have just to live, and not just live a different way in this world, but also the correct way; by living at cause not effect. How to respond, not react, but also how to show up. The Guiding Light way is because of these teachings. I now know how to do just that, to live a different way in this world, with empathy, compassion, and trust. I will always and forever be grateful for the Guiding Light program and the staff that coach here. They taught me many things I will carry throughout the rest of my life. Since being at Iron House, I’ve been able to mend most of those bridges that I burned, and learned that you can build some new ones. Keeping and maintaining a job is no chore anymore. I actually enjoy waking up and going to work…most days. The very act of being able to do the simplest of tasks on a daily basis is actually kind of huge for me because I just didn’t care about doing them. This is a little thing for the guys that are fresh into the program or have been here for a little while. The bonds you create in this program are more important than ever. And at this stage of your recovery, don’t be afraid to lean on them when you’re having problems, doubts or real life issues. Through those bonds, you will only grow stronger as you further progress in the program. Your life coaches will ask you to do things that will make you feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. This will help you learn and grow as a person in your sobriety, learning that they will ask you to do things that will seem impossible until it’s done. And with that for all the better. Thank you.
