Acceptance - Hard but Doable

So, I have been given "hope" to give me a positive outlook on all things, even myself.  Then, I had to "surrender" all to God "all" things in my life, power or no power

Now, I have to show "acceptance"?  Acceptance of things and people for what and who they are.  To have acceptance, I must accept all aspects of myself, my assets, defects, successes, and failures.  I have to accept things that I cannot change.  I have no power over them and therefore I must turn them over to God knowing that He will give me the power to meet new people and new ideas as they come into my life with the openness I need.

There are times, there have been lots of times, and I know that there will be times to come, that acceptance is very hard.  Having acceptance tells me that "it is what it is" and there is no need for me to put or try to put my spin on it to make it "what I want it to be".  Or for me to try and change another person.  There are and will be lots of things and people to come into my life that I will have to learn to accept them the way they are.

I have no power over these things and/or people.  I must let them be where they are and I have to be where I am.  Accepting that this is how things are.  Asking God to grant me what I need to keep my hands off of it. You see, when I was using and still sometimes today, I think I can change this or that to better suit me.  I wanted to put my spin on it and stir it up, make it what I wanted.  What I am learning today is that if I keep my hands out of it and accept it for what it is, people and places, God will take care of it.  Or He will show me the way for me to handle it.  See, when I was using, I had to have my hand in everything.  Trying as hard as I could to change things and people to what "I" thought they should be.  I had to be in control, that way I could continue to do what I was doing.  Doing it the way I wanted to and not having to worry about things or people.

In active addiction, I really thought I had all this power to make things the way I wanted them.  When in reality all I did was make a messier mess.  Trying to lie and manipulate things and people to satisfy myself.  I really thought I had control or power over everything.

In recovery, I have learned "Man, was I wrong!"  You see, if there are things or people that I feel the need to change to better suit me, I need to give it/them to God and keep both my hands out or off of it, He will work it out the way that it is suppose to be.  Now, it may not be how "I" think it should be but that is where acceptance comes in to play.

With Gods help, and this is just for me, I have been able to mend some relationships, I have been able to let things and people be where they are and I am trying to only worry about myself and what I need to do for me.

"Acceptance", that really is a hard one a lot of the time.  But doing the footwork in my recovery is working and my acceptance is getting greater each day.  If I can do something that God would have me do, I do it.  But if I can't and God doesn't want me in it, then I keep to myself out and let go and let God do what God does.

I know you must be think "Dang, this recovery thing, not using, sure is a lot of work!"  Yes, it is but it is worth every bit of the work and then some.  In recovery, I have choices.  I can choose to stay in the problem or I can move to the solution.  If I use, my choices are gone.

Today, I choose to not use.  So far, having hope, surrendering to this disease and with acceptance, I have a really good life.  It is only through the understanding and application of these principles that they work.  You can know them for what they are and how they work, but if you don't "apply" them to your life, you will continue to get what you've always gotten.  With these principles working in my life today, I have peace of mind, love in my heart for others and myself and the eagerness to move forward.

Just think how life is without these principles working in it or not having choices.  Madness, confusion, chaos.  They all can be gone.  Changed to the positive. With these principle, and along with other principles that I still have to learn and explore, life is getting better.

My life has changed.  I love myself today.  My hope is that if you  get anything from this blog of mine, it is "No matter what, things and people can change if they really, really want to.  Your life can change.  You just have to want it to and do the work that is necessary to obtain it.  You and only you can ask for the help you need and change your life.  Until that happens, unfortunately, your life will remain the same, never changing and possibly getting worse day by day.




(** I am in the process of adding to this blog, a page with information for those that are looking, hoping for a chance to change their lives.  If you know of a place or blog that should be added please email me.  This page is a work in progress.  Again, YOU have to ask for the help.  Help cannot help you if it doesn't know you need it.  Life can be wonderful.  Full of joy, love and happiness.  It's there for the taking, just take that first very, most important step and ask for help.)