Gratitude is an Action Word

For me, gratitude is an action word.

Very early in my recovery, I did not have much. I had, for the most part, burnt my life to the ground. All of my relationships were in shambles. I had no money, no job, and no place to go. I moved into a sober house and it took a little while, but eventually I started making friends in the program, I found a job, and things started coming together. Somewhere along the way, I also found some gratitude.

As a matter of fact, in the early going whenever I found myself in a funk, which happened quite a bit, I would sit down and make a list of all the things I was grateful for. I found myself doing this every couple of weeks in the beginning, and I started to notice that the longer I stayed sober, the longer the gratitude lists became. It was a very useful tool for me in early sobriety.

Today I am so very grateful for my recovery. I am grateful to God, to the fellowship, and to the program. My gratitude list is long. Words cannot express how truly grateful I am for my life today, so I must show my gratitude through my actions. By carrying the message, working with others, and being of service to my fellowship I am able to give back a little of what was so freely given to me.

Finally, working as a MAP Recovery Advocate has been but another avenue through which I have been able to give back even more. I am dedicated to this work just as I am to my fellowship and to my program. Sure some days are better than others, but each and every day at MAP, I give it my all. Every phone call I make is an opportunity for me to express my gratitude.