Oct. 27, 2022 - Readings in Recovery: Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

 

Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022

Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles. — Doug Larson

We win admiration for work, achievement, and competitiveness. We are told that a good man is a good provider. These are external rewards, but the rewards of relaxing, of rest and quiet solitude, of recreation are not external. We feel those rewards internally. They are the rewards of personal growth. Work addiction is a tempting mistake for us recovering men. We had big problems in the past, and it feels wonderful to know that we can be competent in our work. We lived in crisis, and our lives were out of control. That memory can haunt us for a lifetime, so work may now provide a welcome structure. But too much work can be another distraction from the important things.

Sometimes we may need to schedule some free time with our families and with our friends, time simply for loafing. Taking a half hour each day for quiet thought and reflection, with no external sign of accomplishment, helps us to become better men.

Today, I will lighten my focus on work and make time for play.

Hazelden Foundation

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