“The humility of asking for help keeps us from self-righteousness and protects us against outbreaks of either grandiosity or self-pity.”

– Life with Hope, first edition, page 51

As I continue my path in recovery, I still occasionally experience flare-ups of ego and willfulness. It can happen anywhere: when I’m around family, while I’m driving, or at work. If I’m not paying attention to where my mind is wandering, my thoughts can take control of me and convince me that my old ways of thinking—that the world is working against me, that I’m in this alone—are fact.

At the end of the day, I sit down for a daily inventory and ask myself things like, “did I talk to my sponsor today?” and “was I overly emotional?” Yes, it is embarrassing when I tell my sponsor I let myself get so angry that I slammed my hand down on a table or that I flipped off another driver. With several years of sobriety, I’m supposed to have full control of myself by now! It is significant that today I have help from others with whom I can work, who give me proper perspective on my thoughts and actions. No longer do I need to get through life on my own.

Final thought: With pride, there are many curses. Today, I remember that with humility, there come many blessings.