Browsing all posts in Character.

Taking Stock without Taking Names

One of the easiest old behaviors to fall back into is blaming people for your problems. It’s so important to always come back to the core of every issue: what part did I play in this?  What can I do to change it? If I can’t change it, what can I do to help myself [...]

Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory

In early recovery I eyed this step with trepidation: I already  hated myself enough so I really didn’t know if writing it down in detail was exactly a good idea. Frankly, what I learned doing this step was that one of my items was this self-criticism that was over the top.  I used this sort [...]

Belief versus Fact

You can stop laughing now. If ever there was a battle in the human mind, it’s over what is belief and what is fact.  You have likely heard the saying, “Feelings aren’t facts.”  Well, beliefs aren’t facts necessarily either.
I might believe someone is making me miserable, but the fact is more likely I’ve either put [...]

People Just Do Things

I remember a sponsor once said to me what I’ve now come to know is a famous quote, “People don’t do things to people. People just do things.”  At first I didn’t really get it – sure people do things to people. People hit other people. People even kill other people!  But then it quickly [...]

Why Honesty Is So Important in Recovery

When alcoholics and addicts are using, dishonesty becomes a way of life. Our primary purpose is to protect the addiction at any cost: we need to get our drink or drug and get away with it. It’s no wonder that lying becomes a way of life.  Because lying eventually becomes second nature to the addict, [...]