The Most Powerful Tool

[Timber Wolf]

Hi Everyone,

 

Well, here it goes. Another attempt to get some activity going on this forum.

 

Ten years ago, I had just gotten out of rehab, and was really struggling to stay clean. It wasn't easy.  I was hanging on by my fingernails. I went for a walk in the forest, which is how I meditated. I came to a realization. I couldn't stay clean for the rest of my life. I was scared. It was just too much, too daunting. It was then that I put the most powerful tool to use. I might not be able to stay clean for the rest of my life, but I could stay clean today. Just for today. That was my goal, my plan. I would stay clean until first light in the morning. After that, I had no plan to use or not to use. Just this one day. Just for today. The next morning dawned, and I was still clean. That felt good. I then made the decission to do it again. That's the tool that works best for me. Even today, ten years clean later, I still get scared if I think about staying clean for the rest of my life, because I know I can't.  But I can stay clean just for today, one day at a time!

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

[Charlize]

Thank you for sharing Timber Wolf.  I remember the same feelings.  I was loosing my best friend.  it was the one that helped me make it through the day, helped me to sleep and then gave me something to look forward to for another day.  It owned me and my life and visualizing a life without was way beyond me.  Folks in the know told me what you have shared.  You can make it ....."one day at a time".  I can and i do.  I was also told that getting sober was the most important thing in my life.  i believed them.  That helped me begin that first day and following that many others.  The pain has passed and been replaced by a knowledge that with help i can survive and enjoy life today if i simply avoid that first small slip that leads back down the road to hell.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Briana]

You wrote a simple sentence...and one paragraph.  A very powerful paragraph that takes less than 15 seconds to read yet is both inspirational and conveys a very important concept that can help us all.  Like many challenges in life, if you step back and break it down to it's smallest parts, you can start to see a way to overcome. 

Thank you for the share Timber Wolf!

(p.s. Family and I were just up in south central Michigan visiting friends...and eating blueberries.  Soooo many blueberries.  :-)  )

[VickySGV]

The message here is wonderful, and I too went through the realization that it needed to be a single day, or sometimes even less, but it was taking care of life as life happened to me right then, and only for that moment that was going to work.

On another quick note here, you can see my post count here on the forums, and of that number, maybe 0.1% of them had any "action" as far as the number of responses have gone.  As far as just people posting here in general, we have been in a slump for a bit, but it is the newer folks like you who make it worth while to those of us who have been around a bit.  

[Timber Wolf]

Vicki,

 

I'm afraid I'm still unable to figure out how to do the quote function. I think I messed it up again. I wasn't really talking about responses to my posts, just activity, such as posting new threads. Just sharing experience, strength, and hope. It just seems to me that substance abuse recovery forums have struggled to maintain regular postings anywhere I've looked online, even Narcotics Anonymous. I don't have java, so I can't participate in the chat meeting on Sunday night.?

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

[Charlize]

Java has a free download feature if you are on a PC but i'm not sure how it would work on a phone.  I sure am glad your phone works on Zoom.  Your presence is always a pleasure.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[VickySGV]

TW -- My bad. but we have had people who got hurt feelings when one of their really great posts (as they saw it) received only a few responses.  The posts were wonderful and thoughtful but did not have much room for response beyond a simple thank you.  By all means do what you can to catch up to Charlize' post count in shorter time than I have been here.

[Jani]

While I have never been subject to an addiction I've had my share of stress.  I was told early on that all I had to do was get through the day.  I would get another chance tomorrow.  What I was told was right and since then I try to look at big problems as a series of smaller more manageable ones.  

You're right it is a powerful tool.

Jani

  

[Timber Wolf]

Thank you Charlize,

 

Unfortunately, it's not Java itself I have problems with, it's data storage space. As it is, I have to keep deleting things on my phone because it keeps hitting the cieling of storage space. There's just no room for another app. And I do love meeting with you all❤!

 

Not your bad, Vicki. Caring is never a bad. My post was mostly a lamentation of the scarcity of active substance abuse forums. The best one I've found is connected with an online AA meeting I've become a part of. The online meeting consists of a core of TG members  whom I have already grown to love as family❤?.

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?