Everybody needs a motivational boost from time to time. We can easily fall victim to depression or self-pity in early recovery that keep us from feeling excited about all that sobriety has to offer. If we can stay inspired, we won’t lose the spark that keeps us going in our recovery. Inspiration seems to come and go. Sometimes we feel entirely motivated and ready to take on the day. Other times, however, we feel that we have lost the excitement that we felt at the beginning of our journey in sobriety. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous suggest that we begin each day with prayer and meditation: “In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don’t struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while. What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind.” In this sense, we cultivate our small moment of inspiration until we eventually find that it has turned into a nearly constant state of our being. When we feel inspired and motivated in our recovery, we no longer find ourselves taking foolish risks or getting into situations that could be a potential threat to our sobriety. When we approach our day with a sense of acceptance and don’t struggle, we begin to feel a sense of inspiration with us throughout the day. Dr. Lissa Rankin, in a 2010 Psychology Today article, expands upon this idea of “going with the flow” as a means of finding inspiration: “Once you’ve jumped off the cliff, ride whatever wave you land on. I call my flow the “lavender-scented river.” Quit fighting the current and just enjoy the ride. It’s how big dreams come true, when you finally quit fighting and let go.” More and more we will find that we wake up inspired and excited about our newfound sobriety, and carry this joy with us throughout our day-to-day interactions.
Constant inspiration can be a reality in your life when you make the decision to change your story by seeking sobriety. Oceanfront Recovery, a men’s treatment facility in beautiful Laguna Beach, offers a variety of cutting-edge methods and techniques to give you all the tools you need to achieve long-lasting sobriety. For more information about treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
