“And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation-some fact of my life-unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.” – The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 417 in the 4th edition.
Within the scope of acceptance, our biggest challenge, especially in early Recovery after drug addiction detox, can be the acceptance of ourselves. While in our addiction, we’ve lost ourselves and when we begin to get sober, often barely know where we are much less who we are and how to accept our current situation. Our confusion and remorse for the things we think we’ve done, whether the action was actually enacted or a mis-perceived idea on our end, may, in fact, keep us at a great distance from accepting what actually is. When we can’t accept the truth of our situation, we can have difficult times accepting people and situations around us. Even the satellite players in our sphere may be an irritant to us and/or leave us with a disconcerting sense of discontentment.
Many times it seems that accepting others becomes easier the more we accept who we are, how we act and where, in the scope of our lives, we live. From that perspective, where we are isn’t our actual geographic location, though once in a while that can seem that way. Comfort and an internally serene state of being, it is more about our station in life at this time.
The staff at this drug rehab in California can be an example of how to live in acceptance. With their knowledge of early Recovery and 12 step program addiction becomes easier to understand. They are able to relate and, many times from their own experiences, they provide a living portrayal as well as a way to learn to achieve this invaluable trait. Of course, most people cannot maintain a perpetual sense of acceptance but the more this life lesson permeates our existence, the greater chance we have of maintaining a sense of serenity and, therefore, our sobriety.