Quite frequently a person from program runs into someone from the old days who says, “Wow, you look great! You look so healthy and happy. Boy the last time I saw you, you were a mess. Tell me what’s your secret? How did you change your life”?

When we are asked that question we realize that we have indeed changed a great deal. Upon contemplation however, we also note that whatever changes have taken place, for almost all of us, there was one common starting point. The giving up of our drug of choice was the doorway we all had to pass thru. Passing over that threshold, the overarching framework for continuing change were the 12 steps. By going thru the steps we learned over time about concepts like unmanageability, powerlessness, Higher Power, character defects, making amends, prayer, meditation and service. It then became our job to take what we had learned and apply it to life on a daily basis. Part of that work included spreading the message to others who were still sick and suffering. So we turned to our friend from the old days and said, “if you want what I have, then you just need to do what I do”.

Personal Reflection: How did you engage in change today?