“The longer we stick around, the less we know.”
—Heard in the rooms.
Addiction is a deep groove. It’s tough to break patterns when we’ve spent years doing the same thing again and again. Before we even found drugs, many of us were already locked into old stories about who we are or what we’re capable of doing.
Choosing recovery, we change the narrative. We open our minds to new ways of seeing and being. But over time, we can grow complacent. We start imagining that we already know everything about the program—we don’t have to ask questions because we’ve got all the answers.
When that happens, our sponsors might introduce us to the Set Aside Prayer: “God, help me set aside everything I think I know about you, me, the program, and the Steps for an open mind and a new experience with you, me, the program, and the Steps.” No matter how much time we have, we can approach any situation—a meeting, a relationship, or recovery itself—with what the Buddhists call a “beginner’s mind.” By remaining teachable, we give ourselves the gift and the grace of a new perspective.
Intention: Today I can let go of what I think I know and see the world through a beginner’s eyes.