Today, the subject of my morning meditation was gratitude. After reading, I reflected that before I got sober gratitude was a word I could say while also throwing up. Because my life was such a mess I didn't feel I had anything to be grateful about. I was angry at the world. I was angry because I was born. I was angry at the authorities. I was angry at everything. For some reason, I couldn’t connect the mess of my life with my own behavior.

Everything was about everybody else. I was whiny, self pitying, and had no idea why I wallowed in the maelstrom of negative emotion that enveloped my life. Only when I got sober, did I get a clue about what was wrong with me. And what was wrong with me – was me. Once that revelation descended upon me, then life changed.

Today, before writing this, I walked on the sand in front of the hotel where I'm staying while on vacation in Mexico. Of course, it's easy to be grateful when one is on vacation in paradise. I enjoyed the breakers crashing on the beach and was suffused with the joy of my existence.

However, today I also have gratitude because I’m paid to work with alcoholics and addicts – a job I once did for nothing.

Whatever I’m doing, If I live in the moment I’ll appreciate what we have. Gratitude stems from that.