“We start to accept the unpleasantness in our lives and become grateful when we are able to experience growth from it.”

– Life with Hope, second edition, page 68

Pain is often the price for our most important growth. Well before entering recovery, I learned to view my own personal struggles with depression and obsessive compulsive disorder as a means to have compassion for others who might have their own difficulties. Still, many days were filled with an inner strain to accept my imperfections, while trying to maintain faith that I could lead a successful and productive life despite them. Years of using pot to cope with (really, mostly ignore) my negative feelings did nothing to lift the despair of what I imagined a life without such troubles might have been like.

In recovery, I have found that feelings of grief and despair that come with experiences of loss or challenge can be building blocks to cultivating my relationship with my Higher Power. It requires an awareness and openness to the idea that difficult experiences are a gift. This leads me to reflect and pray about the lessons that help me move forward with my life. How can I experience growth from something unpleasant—or even terrible? After some time, I am often surprised to find that I can be grateful for what my Higher Power has helped me learn.

Final thought: Today, I accept that God directs my personal growth in ways that, while not always obvious or necessarily pleasant, assists me in becoming a better human being.