It’s been noted that most people don’t like change. In general. We don’t like to change. It’s also been noted that recovering addicts and alcoholics–especially–do not like to change. So what is it like when you take a person in recovery, someone who is working their comfortable little program and getting complacent as hell and isn’t doing much more than carrying a message online to other addicts, and you force this person to reach out for help and GOD forbid make themselves vulnerable and actually go to an AA meeting and to…..to…..to make a CHANGE? What is that like?

Well, it’s real freaking hard. I don’t really care for it none too much.

I’ll never forgive my therapist for instilling my mind with the cliche “feel the fear and do it anyway.” What a rotten bunch of crap to say to a recovering alcoholic, especially one who lives in fear and generally resists change at the drop of a hat. So now I’ve had the gut wrenching experience of having to reach out and ask for help (again).

I’ll spare you the gory details, which aren’t important anyway. Let’s just say that it’s over now, and in spite of the uncomfortable feelings involved, I decided to make a commitment to see this particular change through to the end. I’ve decided to do something different. (I know, I know….If it isn’t one cliche, it’s another). Of course, now that I’ve gone ahead and made this phenomenal change, I want to highlight some of the finer points that result from taking action.

In feeling the fear and doing it anyway, you will effectively:

1) Make a positive change in your life

2) Cross another thing off of your mental “to-do” list

3) Increase your momentum for Getting Things Done

4) Give yourself a mental and emotional boost for the rest of the day

5) Gain that feeling of accomplishment - like you’ve had a productive day so now you can relax a bit……ahhhhh!

You would think with all of these positive benefits involved, I would be eating up the opportunity to make changes in my life with a lot more enthusiasm. But it never seems to get any easier….or at least the underlying fear of change seems to hold constant as I go through my recovery. What has helped though is that my willingness has grown in spite of the fear. I have definitely made progress and moved forward in my life.

What changes have you made lately? Was it uncomfortable for you?

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