“If we have been diligent, honest and painstaking in our recovery, the tools we have acquired in this program will come to our aid when we meet life’s serious challenges…”

– Life with Hope, first edition, page 67

Living just for today relieves the burden of the past and the fear of the future. I learned to take whatever actions are necessary and to leave the results in the hands of my Higher Power. In my active addiction, fear of the future and what might happen was a reality for me. “What if I got arrested?” “Lost my jobs?” “My spouse died?” “What if I went bankrupt?” It was not unusual for me to spend hours, even days thinking about what might happen. I played out entire conversations and scenarios before they ever occurred, then charted my course on the basis of “what if.” By doing this, I set myself up for disappointment after disappointment.

From listening in meetings, I learn to live in the present, not the prophecies of doom and gloom. I can only deal with what is real today, not my fearful fantasies of the future. Coming to believe that my Higher Power has only the best in store for me is one way I can combat that fear. I hear at meetings that my Higher Power won’t give me more than what I can handle in one day. I know from experience that if I ask, the God I’ve come to understand will surely care for me. I stay clean and sober through adverse situations by practicing my faith in the care of a Power greater than myself. Each time I do, I become less fearful of “what if” and more comfortable with what is.

Final thought: Today, I will look forward to the future with faith in my Higher Power.