Perseverance in the Face of Adversity

“History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.” B.C. Forbes

Most people have heard the name Forbes – as in the Forbes list of richest people in the world. Considering what a powerful man this was, it’s probably a good guess that he had to overcome a lot of obstacles to build the family legacy.

One of the toughest things to do is to come back to sobriety after a relapse. Relapses are heartbreaking. I’ve seen many over the past 20 odd years, and some people have them like clockwork.  But you also see real perseverance among those people. They are determined to get it, even if it takes five, six, or even twenty tries.  I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but if you ever relapse, the best thing to do is get back up on the wagon.

You really have to refuse to become discouraged. Most of the obstacles to sobriety after relapse probably have one underlying cause: ego.  No one wants to stand up and say I have one day when they were saying they had 90 days, five years, or 20 years. But the truth is, all we have is one day, not just in terms of sobriety but in terms of life as a whole.  Today. You can say you are going to do something tomorrow, but it’s actually a physical impossibility to actually do something tomorrow. When you do it, it’s today.

Here’s a great quote from Anthony Robbins on how to accomplish just about anything:

“The truth of the matter is that there’s nothing you can’t accomplish if: (1) You clearly decide what it is that you’re absolutely committed to achieving, (2) You’re willing to take massive action, (3) You notice what’s working or not, and (4) You continue to change your approach until you achieve what you want, using whatever life gives you along the way.”