There is a quiet wisdom in learning to “right-size” our lives—finding balance, humility, and perspective in the way we see ourselves, others, and God.
Camille Pissarro reminds us: “Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” The right size is not grandiose or self-diminishing—it is learning to see beauty where others overlook it, to value simplicity, and to accept life as it is given to us.
A simple example from my early adulthood comes to mind: enjoying the laughter of my son while spending time together in our backyard, or while walking back from town at Put-In-Bay, Ohio on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. My life as a father and teacher felt perfectly sized and simple—before the ravages of alcoholism clouded those precious memories.
Even though that memory is in the past, it still reminds me of what is possible now that I am in recovery. Carl Jung wisely said, “We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.” I accept the choices I made back then, and I give thanks that today I can learn from them—both the good and the bad—while living a transformed life where I can once again enjoy the laughter of little children.
It would be nice to say that the transition from intoxication to sobriety was easy or final. But as Antonio Brown reminds us, “The journey is never ending. There's always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what's right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment.” The same idea is echoed by Tony Jaa: “Never be afraid to fail. Failure is only a stepping stone to improvement. Never be overconfident because that will block your improvement.” Growth is not about perfection—it is about persistence, courage, and humility.
Even in sobriety, I remain at times challenged to do the “right” or best thing. I am daily humbled by the fact that the relationship with the son of my youth is still damaged. Yet here too, I accept the present reality and continue to strive toward a more open, inclusive future with him.
Scripture places this lifelong journey in its truest light. Paul counsels: “Be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
Transformation is not measured by worldly standards, but by our willingness to let God reshape us daily. In my current life, I strive to embrace a manner of living grounded in the prayer: “Not my will, but Thine be done.”
As an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I seek to maintain faith in miracles and to keep my heart open to the hope that I may again know relationships of love and caring.
Jesus Himself gave us the guiding principle: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. … And … you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39). On these two commandments rests all growth, all service, all meaning.
True right-sizing means aligning our lives with Christ, loving God and neighbor, and walking the path that leads to eternal life. The Book of Mormon supports this call as we read: “Look to the great Mediator … and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit” (2 Nephi 2:28).
When we accept what is, embrace growth through failure, and root ourselves in love of God and others, we find our proper place. Not too big, not too small—but right-sized.
Amen.
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