Sometimes the Order Doesn’t Matter
Four years ago I quit drinking. What came after didn't go in the order the books said it would.
The first thing I did was burn the ships. For me, that meant May 2nd, and it meant alcohol.
Then I discovered the educated voices — like Annie Grace — that I needed to hear so I could succeed. Then I found the will to continue. Someone encouraged me to share my voice and experience. Out of the pure blue sky, I found an audience of peers to support me and hold me accountable. Somewhere in there, people started looking to me to be their support and guide. The pieces of my sobriety are coming one by one, in a disordered fashion. I don't yet know how they'll fit together, but I'm open to what's possible.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Comparison is also a cutthroat vandal of confidence. If I compared myself to the "right way," or graded myself on the prescribed order of operations, all I'd be doing is waiting for the wheels to fly off. I know I'm doing it all wrong — that is to say, not the way others have done it. In the same way I do most things, my process is uniquely mine. I have a keen mentor who is teaching me to accept my own approach. I'm not comparing my process, but I am listening to others for inspiration and guidance. While I journey, I give myself grace in the present and accept the future as it comes.
If any of this sounds familiar, I'd love to hear where you are in your own process. Reach out — the conversation is always worth having.
