The Secret to A Life of Peace in Sobriety
Updated: Sep 6, 2022
Learning to live in acceptance is the key to living a life of peace and serenity. The term "acceptance" doesn't mean "resignation," which implies giving up or allowing bad things to happen. Acceptance, as we want to use the word, means non-resistance. You want to be able to reach a point when you can accept things that happen in your life and observe them without fear or judgment.
If I can borrow a well-worn sports analogy, life throws you a lot of curveballs. If you become too fixated or attached to how things SHOULD BE instead of accepting how of things ACTUALLY ARE, you become trapped in a never-ending cycle of disappointment and frustration. It often seems that your problems appear out of nowhere. You might start the day with a particular set of expectations, only to be thrown a curveball that catches you off guard, sometimes hitting you square in the face.
Some days you're hit by multiple curve balls traveling at tremendous speed. Then you find yourself trying to fix one problem while confronting another and another. You become overwhelmed and can easily succumb to frustration and anger. You might want to throw your hands up in the air and resign yourself to your fate.
But there's another path you can take: ACCEPTANCE.
A great phrase to always remember whenever life throws you curve balls is, "This too shall pass."
The fact is, all things shall pass eventually. Nothing is permanent. Bad, unpleasant, or frightening things all end at some point. The same is true for good things. All things shall pass.
The trick is not to obsess over or become overly attached to anything, good or bad, but merely accept them as passing conditions.
One moment might seem perfect; the next moment might be filled with problems. One day you might be dating your soul mate; the next day your heart is broken. One week you might feel healthy; the next week you're sick. One month you might have money in the bank; the next month you're broke.
All of these are passing conditions. Nothing is permanent, and nothing stays the same. The only thing you can rely on is change itself. Change is the only constant. The bad things and the good things all pass into something else at some point. So lighten up and accept the ebb and flow of life.
If you can live in acceptance of what is and not what should be, you will find it much easier to live in harmony with the fluctuations and changes that confront us every day. You don't want to be doormats and let life (or people) trample over you. You have to take responsibility and fix things that need to be fixed. But it's also important to realize that life is filled with ups and downs and constant change. Life just is. When curveballs are bombarding you, simply remind yourself: "This too shall pass."
ACTION PLAN
Commit to memory the expression "this too shall pass." Write it down. Whenever life starts to beat you up or throw you curveballs, recall the phrase, and repeat it as often as needed. If you repeat it and believe it, there are very few situations you won't be able to handle, no matter how difficult or daunting they might appear.