After 32 years of sobriety I feel like I have a good foundation in life. Do I think I have all the answers? Do I think it's impossible for me to relapse? No, I don't believe anyone can say that no matter how many years they have clean and sober.
I still go to meetings at least once a week. I work and talk with recovering addicts on a daily basis because I work in a treatment program. But I don't make the mistake of getting my work in the treatment program mixed up with my personal recovery – although it doesn't hurt to be in an environment where the focus is on helping people get sober and rebuild their lives.
But I do more than just read recovery material or go to meetings to keep myself on track. While I sometimes read recovery material in the morning, I also find inspiration in listening to self-help audio books. And it's a habit I've had for years, maybe 15.
I usually listen to audiobooks, because I can exercise in my home gym and listen to inspirational material at the same time. Sometimes I drag myself out of bed not feeling particularly inspired or full of energy because I've been doing the same thing for 32 years. But after listening to an inspirational audiobook I find myself getting charged up and ready for the day.
Among the authors I recommend are Wayne Dyer, David Goggins, Deepak Chopra, Ryan Holliday, and Tony Robbins. And this is not an exclusive list. But if you start listening to this type of material you soon find yourself finding other authors of the same genre. There are hundreds of them out there. At the moment I'm looking through Amazon for a book by Helen Keller, the blind, deaf, and dumb author that I've never got a chance to read about – though I have heard of her story from others.
I think that now that we're sober it's very important that we continually feed our brain with good information from positive authors. Their stories kind of run parallel to what we hear in an alcoholics anonymous meeting. Of course the theme is different, but generally speaking the stories that I listen to and relate to are those about overcoming obstacles of various kinds. The message is really about having the strength and fortitude to continue improving our lives no matter what challenges we face.
Trying incorporating this kind of input into your morning routine and you may be surprised at the results.
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