Even on the darkest of days, if you look hard enough you can find something to be grateful for. Make your heart happy, take the challenge.
It doesn’t have to be something big, unrealistic, or even tangible (I found a roll of one hundred dollar bills on the sidewalk). Remember, good things come in small packages. There are many millionaires out there who are unhappy, and many people living in poverty that start and end each day with a cheerful heart.
Seeking gratitude in recovery may be tougher on some days than it is on others. Keeping a thankfulness journal will help you get through those days much easier, change your focus, assess your progress, and bring peace and happiness to a dismal day.
It’s All about Focus
Gratefulness is an attitude, something you have total control over. Playing the ‘woe is me’ game provides zero benefits. Being grateful, however, even for nothing else than being in recovery, is huge in and of itself.
People who focus on the things they are grateful for on a daily basis have a reduced risk of relapse. They are happier, sleep better, are more motivated to stay in recovery, and have more peace in their lives. Contact Henderson alcohol and drug detox for more information.
The Domino Effect
A positive attitude promotes good mental and physical health. When you are in a better place mentally, you feel better, more energized, and motivated to continue to improve your life. Finding gratitude in recovery will get you there. Positive thinking produces happiness. Happiness produces positive thinking. It’s a win-win no matter how you look at it.
On the other hand is stinking thinking. Negative, unappreciative, hopeless thinking that will do nothing but bring you down. It will make you feel tired, maybe physically ill, promotes a ‘who cares’ attitude, and will surely point you down the road to relapse.
If you find yourself starting to walk that negative pathway, STOP! Pick yourself up, call a friend, call your sponsor, call your family – anyone who can talk you off that road and point out all the things you are not seeing that you have to be grateful for, your recovery for one.
Happiness is a side-effect to being grateful. Finding gratitude in recovery will keep you there. Take the challenge. What are you grateful for right this very second? Write it down and watch the dominoes fall toward a long life free of addiction.
Source: www.therecoveryvillage.com
