Monday, March 24, 2025

A Beginning

One year ago, I shared a quote from President Russell M. Nelson in a Facebook post:

"It is important for you to know who you are and who you may become. It is more important than what you do, even as vital as your work is and will be."

At the time, I connected this quote to Alcoholism and the well-known AA principle: "We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning." — Bill Wilson, Co-founder of AA. The heart of that post emphasized the necessity of finding a solution where we no longer need to take the first drink.

Today, I take that thought a step further. Sobriety alone is not the destination—it is the foundation for a new way of living. It is not enough to simply eliminate alcohol; we must embrace a manner of living that allows us to engage in life with joy, dignity, and charity. With this foundation, the improbable becomes possible, and what once seemed unachievable is within reach.

This is a spiritual approach that begins with a profound realization:

"We cannot sink so low that God cannot lift us to freedom." — John Harrold

Recognizing this truth leads to another:

"Yes, you are very special in the eyes of God. But you are what you are by the grace of God." — 1 Corinthians 15:10

The True Beginning: Step Three

The journey of transformation begins with Step Three:
"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."

This decision is the turning point. It is where we acknowledge that self-will alone is insufficient, and we entrust our lives to a Higher Power. It is where we stop fighting alone and instead embrace the divine guidance available to us.

Shifting Our Focus

Too often, we allow our weaknesses and struggles to define us, granting them more power than they deserve. But wisdom teaches us otherwise:

"How foolish it is to focus on our weaknesses and troubles, thereby giving them more power than they deserve. Lord, I ask for Your wisdom and guidance in what I put into my mind. You are good and beautiful and intelligent and loved. Lord, may I accept me for all that I am and focus on my goodness."Daily Inspiration, March 23

By shifting our focus from our struggles to our potential, we begin to see ourselves through God’s eyes—capable, worthy, and loved. True recovery is not merely abstinence but a transformation of the heart, mind, and soul. It is about living with faith, serving others, and stepping into the purpose for which we were created.

And so, the beginning is not merely in stopping a destructive habit—it is in embracing a new, abundant life.

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