Living a life of sobriety after experiencing addiction is no walk in the park. It’s a daily commitment to make the best decisions for you and your dedication to staying clean and sober. While recovery is the greatest gift you could ever give yourself, the path is filled with bumps and pitfalls. Don’t allow those moments to become roadblocks or cause you to slip backwards. If you’re fighting to remain sober today or you’re feeling vulnerable, here’s 5 quotes to help get you through it.
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”
-Albert Einstein
Finding a silver lining in the challenges we face helps us to cope and properly process without succumbing to temptations. When you stumble, it’s a chance to find the proper footing. If you slip, there’s an opportunity to find what truly works for you. Don’t bury yourself in guilt and shame- you’ve proven your strength just in getting this far. Keep going.
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
-Helen Keller
Adversity in life builds character, even if in the moment it doesn’t feel like it. The skills you’ve gained along your recovery path to maintain your sober lifestyle build a solid foundation to create the person you want to be.
“Fall seven times, get up eight.”
-Japanese Proverb
This classic quote about perseverance may as well be speaking directly to the recovery community. As sober warriors, we know exactly what it means to get back up no matter how many times life knocks us down. Keep these words in your heart whenever the road gets tough.
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
-Edmund Hillary
Sometimes we get so lost in our own thoughts and anxieties about the road ahead that we preemptively trip up ourselves. Before you give up on yourself and all the progress you’ve made, make sure you’re not turning a pebble into a mountain.
“Defeat may serve as well a victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.”
-Edwin Markham
To many people, relapse marks the end of the road, weakness, or failure. Not only is that so far from the truth, perpetuating that idea among the recovery community does much more harm than good. Don’t let anyone else determine what your recovery should look like: as long as you continue moving forward and striving for your goal, your journey isn’t over.
