Knowing My Own Motives: A Guide to Truth in Recovery

 

Dear Reader,

Recovery invites us into a life where honesty isn’t just a virtue—it’s a lifeline. In addiction, many of us became experts at self-deception. We wove "tangled webs," as Sir Walter Scott warned, not only to deceive others, but to avoid facing our own pain, fear, and contradictions. Step by step, we learned that truth isn’t just something we seek—it’s something we must live.

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – Buddha

The truth about ourselves comes out—sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once. In recovery, it becomes crucial to ask: What are my real motives? Am I trying to look good, or to do good? Do I want to be right, or to be free?

“Everything will line up perfectly when knowing and living the truth becomes more important than looking good.” – Alan Cohen

As we grow spiritually, we stop using “good intentions” to excuse manipulation or control. Ayn Rand reminds us that the desire to do good “by force” is never noble. Whether rooted in power-lust or blind idealism, false motives damage trust—and often our own peace of mind.

But truth isn’t just about exposing what’s wrong. It’s about discovering who we are in the light of grace.

“One must know oneself. If this does not serve to discover truth, it at least serves as a rule of life, and there is nothing better.” – Blaise Pascal

“In the end, you don’t so much find yourself as you find someone who knows who you are.” – Robert Brault

That “someone” may be a sponsor, a Higher Power, or a loving friend who sees beyond our fear. But the real change happens when we stop running and start listening—to truth, to conscience, to God.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – John 8:32

Recovery isn’t about perfection. It’s about courage. Sometimes, telling the truth will cost us—approval, comfort, reputation—but it brings freedom. The kind promised by Christ, and echoed in the Book of Mormon:

“Blessed are ye when men shall revile you... for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.” – 3 Nephi 12:11–12

To know our motives is to know our hearts. And when we’re honest with ourselves, we become open to God’s transforming power. The truth doesn’t just set us free—it invites us home.

With grace and gratitude,