A New Year in Recovery

A new year in recovery, one day at a time. I hope all those who’re in addiction recovery made it through the holidays with their recovery intact. I also hope this is a great new year for everyone. Recovery from addiction opens possibilities. Those who started their addiction early may not even be aware of their capabilities. Clarity of mind opens up many avenues in employment, social life, relationships, spiritual pursuits, emotional health and physical well-being.

A well rounded recovery-management plan entails exercise (within your limitations), nutrition, meditation, journaling new thoughts and emotions in order to track growth, working on relationships, openness to spirituality, talking with people who understand the highs and lows of recovery, a commitment to honesty, making amends, when possible, to those you harmed, helping others when the opportunity arises, and a general awareness of new possibilities. Perhaps you are in a dead end job — in recovery you can research different fields of employment that interest you, and start working on a plan to gain the specialized knowledge to do this type of work. A good friend of mine went onto nursing when he was 35, and within 10 years he was supervising over a dozen nurses in a large hospital. I’ve had ex-clients who went from being unemployable to high paid professional careers in various fields of endeavor.

One of the brightest spots dealing with people in recovery is when someone tells me they’ve mended relationships and are simply happy with life. After all, being at peace with ourselves and loved ones is probably the most important achievement. But so many things become possible in recovery, it’s really amazing. It’s like living for years in semi-darkness, then a light comes on and you can see clearly. I wish everyone in recovery the best in this coming year — may you all seize the possibilities and find peace. Remember – the New Year starts a New Day. Yes, that was corny.