In the end, we are alone. It is how we start and how we end. We spent most of our lives building a fortress of protection for our lies and our lonesomeness. We let few, if any, into our bunkers of darkness and despair, for it was our sanctuary of the security we strived for.
We guarded our unmet emotions as gold and our senseless selfishness as silver. We knew of what the world offered but had become cynics of our ability to change. We recognized foundational change needed to occur for our misguided castle to crumble. Adjustment had to come from the inside in order to experience the outside. We held steadfast against a revolt that might shake our footing.
The inside war took a turn with the utterance of “What the hell am I doing to myself?”
It turns out that the antidote to self-destruction is self-improvement. The vastness of change needed is simple to comprehend yet difficult to execute. If we were to change, we would need total change. The amount of discipline, focus, and drive would have to exceed the levels that brought us to where we ended up.
It wasn’t us who caused the pivot or raised the bar, who created the vision or manufactured the momentum, who dictated the direction, or who energized the important first steps. It was a force beyond anything we had ever experienced; it was a God thing. Period.
However, staying on the path set forth by the supernatural was left to us. We had to learn and re-learn how to think and act. We had to own our recovery with a vigor equal to the force that caused the transformation. The weight of sobriety sat now where the burdens of the life we had crafted once existed. We would have to do the work lest we fall back into our bunker of darkness and despair.
This effort to build a new presence requires mental muscle and the appropriate tools.
Expecting and managing setbacks helps strengthen the safety net while in motion. If the good is to be secured, a persistent push and constant analysis of progress are needed.
The best approach we found was to follow the examples of those who built before us. These are but a few of the approaches we follow today, which also include hard honesty, forgiveness, accountability, and service.
As we maintain focus on the new us, we remain intentional to be there for the next guy who finds themselves in a citadel built of pain and chains. We stay ready to offer our experience as a roadmap to rebuild. And, as it takes a community, we realize that we are not the sole saviors, as we are but a part of a fellowship committed to the concept of change.
Everybody's journey is different, each unique in their past, present, and future. This is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. This revolution exists to make the most of our days. Turning our mess into a meaningful message and gifting hope is our charge, our purpose.
The towers we reside in today are not built on the pride of what we have created but on the shoulders of the many who supported the build. In the end, we remain alone but are now a result of the many. We encourage each other and lay the bricks that become the structures of solace. We are but a part of a whole.
We are part of our own Revolution.
Thoughts and ideas for this blog post were taken and built upon from a sober.coffee podcast “#177 titled “From the Bunker; Pete joins in for a coffee” … The podcast dropped on 8/14/2024. Click here to hear the podcast.
Photo by Kaleb Nimz on Unsplash
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Alcoholics Anonymous and AA are registered trademarks of Alcoholics World Service. Inc. References to AA, the 12 steps, and 12 traditions does not mean that AA has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication nor that AA agrees with the views expressed herein. This publication is intended to support personal growth and should not be considered a substitute for healthcare professionals' advice. The author’s advice and viewpoints are their own.
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