November 9th – Powerlessness Leads to Choice

November 9th - a hand holding a sign with the word "Grateful"

“…surrender outweighs the illusion of control and becomes our only option for recovery.”

Life with Hope, second edition, page 3

When I first got clean, I knew I was powerless over marijuana, but I didn’t think my life was unmanageable. I had a job, an apartment, a cat, and a partner. Slowly, as the cloud of smoke left my brain, I realized that using pot every minute I was awake, even though I was no longer getting high, made my life completely unmanageable. My thinking and the constant craving for pot was unmanageable.

Once I realized that the entire First Step was relevant to my life, I could surrender to my powerlessness and unmanageability. Each surrender to the Steps has been a huge gift. Working these Twelve Steps has been the only thing that has made real and lasting change in my life. I have a set of tools which help me live happy, joyous, and free, in a way I could never have imagined before recovery.

Final thought: Today, I am grateful for another day clean, and pray to stay that way.

Living Every Day with Hope – Copyright © 2025 Marijuana Anonymous World Services. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Marijuana Anonymous groups have been granted limited permission to quote Living Every Day with Hope.

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