This came to the forefront today after I spent a few minutes with an addict in new recovery.
His conversation was full of me, my, I feel, I want, I need. Not a word was about anyone else.
Unfortunately, his conversation isn't unique. Most of our new clients start this way.
If you asked them to draw a picture of the universe they'd be the planet at the center. Everything else would be revolving around them.
But after a while in recovery we start making breakthroughs. We come to realize that we're not always going to feel wonderful. That bliss is not the normal human state. That sometimes we suffer and suffer some more. We even come to recognize that most of that suffering is in our head, of our own making.
Soon we'll start helping others. Comforting newcomers to the program. Doing things for others without letting them know about it.
We rejoin the human race. And recognize that in the scheme of things none of us are that important.
