Why do bad things keep happening to me?
Life contains suffering regardless of how well you are working your recovery program. There are pandemics, friends die, family gets sick, you will make painful mistakes, etc. It's all part of life. These things are not only happening to you. They are happening to everyone. However, you don't have to make things worse by having a depressed attitude. If you remember the terrible consequences that you had when you were using, you may feel gratitude simply because you are not using and thereby improve your attitude. If you practice good spiritual principles (like mindfulness, love, compassion, and forgiveness) you will thrive during hardship. If you live one day at a time and make the best of this moment, you will not worry about the future or regret the past. If you apply the 12 steps to situations over which you have no control, you will be at peace and best able to support not only yourself but also others. For example, Step 1 encourages you to accept that you are powerless over a pandemic. Step 2 suggests that you believe that a power greater than only yourself can restore you to peace during the pandemic. Step 3 advises you to make a decision to turn your will and your life over to the care of that Higher Power. (Remember a Higher Power can be anything that restores you to sanity, such as connecting with other people in online meetings or a forum, or a sponsor, or a loving force, or a compassionte purpose, or good principles, or creativity; anything that works for you.) Steps 4 through 7 will clear away the character defects that are blocking you from connecting with your Higher Power. Steps 8 and 9 will free you of the guilt of past mistakes and allow you to have a healthy self image. Steps 10 through 12 will maintain your improved sense of self, connection with your Higher Power, and allow you to lose self-consciousness by helping others. The result of applying the steps to challenging times is a newfound freedom and calm in the midst of the storm. There will also be no need to escape from challenges by returning to your addiction.
To-do:
Today, I will accept the truth of suffering. I won't get depressed over hard times. I will try applying the 12 steps to difficult situations so that I may become a positive force for myself and others. I may even ask a sponsor, mentor, or therapist to help me work through the steps regarding a particularly challenging situation.
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