March 28, 2016

Quote of the Week

"We found we couldn't help ourselves, but we 

could help each other."

Before recovery I did everything I could think of to get better on my own. I'd try to stop drinking during the week; then on Mondays through Thursdays. I'd join a gym and exercise a while, or I'd go on a healthy diet. I went into therapy to work on myself, and I started journaling. At the end of all of this, though, I'd find myself alone, depressed and drunk.
 
When I entered the program, I thought I might finally learn how to help myself. Instead, I was given direction that made no sense. "Wash the coffee cups after the meeting," I was told. "Get a commitment to get to a meeting early and set the chairs up." "Become a greeter and ask other people how they are doing." What about me? I thought. How am I going to get better if I'm focused on helping others rather than myself? Even though I didn't understand it, I was desperate, so I followed your direction.
 
And that's when the miracle took place. Over time I came to see that alone I couldn't, but together we could recover. I learned that the solution began when I got out of myself and helped you. That when two alcoholics got together, that's when the power of God flowed and healed us both. Ultimately I learned that when I was helping you, you were helping me and that was the solution I could never find by myself.
 
Today I know that while I can't help myself, I can always help you - and together, we can help each other.