Finding out what matters and your purpose
One of my dad’s favorite sayings was “The best lesson in life is life itself” something I never truly understood until the day I realized I couldn’t function without one of my once prescribed pills. You see my addiction was actually the best thing that has ever happened to me. I know that’s not what someone usually says after they have lost everything to their drug of choice but like my wife says, “You’re a different kind of someone”. Now before you go saying “I’ll have what he’s having” don’t. Just allow me to give you the addiction-free version I began learning the first day of my unconventional rehab at my brother’s house 8 years ago.
I think the first thing someone battling addiction has to understand is that you matter. Maybe not to everyone you thought for sure you would matter to, but you do matter to someone. I know that’s had to believe, especially if you’re in those early stages of detoxing when sleep is a thing of the past and you’re throwing up things you’ve never eaten but you do matter.
The second thing I think someone battling addiction has to understand is that they have a purpose. I’m not saying that once you’re sober that all of the sudden you are going to feel like that guy from a different planet who wears a red cape because well it doesn’t quite work that way. In fact, I’m almost positive the reason that guy didn’t drink or do drugs is that he knew he wasn’t strong enough to recover from it making you the super one. So, when you start feeling like you have no purpose, and you will. Just remember this “The best part of finding purpose is in the hunt”.
Finally, I’m going to tell you this the same way my brother would tell me something during my unconventional rehab at his house, straight forward and to the point. You are about to accomplish one of the greatest accomplishments anyone can accomplish. It's not going to be easy; it will be the hardest thing you have ever done. You are going to lose some people in your life, you will second guess your purpose in life but trust me now believe me later. These steps you are taking are just leading you to more of those consistent sunrises I heard about the second day of my recovery. Besides no one has more faith in you than me.
Hope this helps, Your friend in recovery.
