Your Life Can Be Better in 8 Easy Steps

If you have never done drugs I encourage you not to start. If you are doing drugs, I encourage you to quit now. Most of my old friends are either dead or in prison. I am working and get to spend time with my wife and children and play at the park with them. Trust me; this recovery thing is everything they tell you it is. There is a better life in recovery, and I am living proof!

There are some requirements to recovery, and I everyone can benefit from them whether they struggle with addictions or not. Here are 8 requirements to living a better life. I start with my 5 Pillars of Recovery and add a few more:

1.    Higher Power – Find something bigger than you that gives you validation, forgiveness, compassion and love. Find what works best for you and latch onto it!

2.    Sponsor/Mentor – Find someone whose life you would like to have in 5 years (family life, finances, spirituality, faith, sobriety, etc.) and ask them to help guide you in that pursuit.

3.    Accountability Partners - Find people with similar goals and give them permission to call you out. This could be people you work with, live with, go to church with, go to meetings with or just meet once a week for coffee.

4.    12 Steps - Find a plan to guide your life and apply it. I wholly believe in the 12 steps and have seen people use them for so much more than just drug/alcohol addiction. I have seen them used to work through depression, anxiety, eating issues, divorce, codependency and a lot more. They cure your hurts, habits and hang-ups.

5.    Meetings – Find groups of people with similar struggles who are trying to overcome them. These range from Alcoholics Anonymous to Celebrate Recovery to Support groups for survivors of cancer or suicide to small groups that give education on having a happy home life and everything in between.

6.    Playgrounds and Playmates – Avoid people and places that could tempt you to return to the lifestyle you are leaving behind.

7.    Meditation/Prayer – Whether life is great or not, these always make the day better. Focus on positive things in your life, express your gratitude and ask to do and be more! 

8.    Community Service - Give back to the community you live in by getting involved in something that focuses on making your community better. Service work is vital, but community service is so much more fulfilling. I actually felt I was a part of my community again. Try it and you will see what I mean!

There is a lot more, but this is a great start. I have never seen someone who committed themselves to these 8 things fail in their sobriety. It is just too hard to find time to mess up. Put the same amount of effort you put into your addiction into your recovery and watch it GROW!!!