Topic of the Week - Commitment

[caressa]

What does commitment mean to you? What did you have to commit to when you came into recovery? What do you still commit to and why?

The #1 commitment is my recovery. Without me, I have nothing and neither does my family.

The #2 commitment is carrying the message of recovery to others. Others took the time to pass the message to me when I came into recovery.

The #3 commitment is my health. You can't give away what you don't have. That means my mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health.

[justjo]

This was something, I never did well, especially when it came to relationships. When I found someone getting too close, it was often me that did the running.

When it came to recovery, I was very committed, I had no choice, it was do or die. They said go to meetings, I went to meetings. I had a fear of relapse, so I went to more meetings. I heard them say, "When you are sick and tired of going to meetings, go to more meetings, run don't walk."

I was commited to doing the do things, talking to my sponsor, reading my literature, doing meditations morning and night, getting phone numbers and building a network of friends, a strong foundation on which to build my recovery on.

Even in today, after several 24 hours of recovery, I commit to coming to this site and a couple of others to carry the message of recovery. I had to commit to service. They said "If you don't give it away, you can't keep it." That wasn't an option. Up until my health got worse, I was still doing 7 to 10 meetings a week because of service. Someone took the time for me, it is only right that I pay it forward.

I don't get out to f2f meetings very often. When I do, I am like a sponge. I just soak up all that good energy and say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you for being here for me today."

[Cherie]

“There's a difference between interest and commitment.
When you're interested in doing something, you do it only
when circumstance permit. When you're committed to
something, you accept no excuses, only results.” - - unknown

I tend to avoid making commitments unless I am 100%
certain I can give it my all. Promises are commitments
and unless I can keep that promise I won't give it. When
Honey and I married I promised to love and honor him,
till death do we part. This is a vow that we both took
and have lived up to for nearly 40 years.

My #1 commitment is to God. I want to become the
person He wants me to be and with His help this will
happen.

Anything after my # 1 commitment is trivial..... Carrying
His message is a big part of my recovery, so I have nothing
to give to others if it doesn't begin inside of me. If I have
integrity, I will honor my commitments.

In the beginning, God made us perfect, but through the
years we've have taken paths that were easier but not
better for us. I have the God's strength working inside
me to become that person again. Not sure that on this
earth, I will find my perfection, but I am working on it ODAT...

Peace on the journey, Cherie

[justjo]

Like that perspective. I get interested in a lot of things but don't always follow through on it. I would have my hands into a dozen things mentally, but physiclly, it is a different story. As you say, I try not to take on commitments if I feel I can't meet them, although I was told with my volunteer job, that going when you can is the whole idea of volunteering. You go when you can, when it is good for you. I have a volunteer meeting with CAP on Wednesday afternoon. I returned my keys because one of the volunteer staff members told me to rest, and told me I had done my time and let others work. Shortly afterward, I was called my sponsors of the program asking me to go and to bring my resume. The manager of the service spoke to me and said that she was glad I was feeling better and hoped that I could work some of the new hours. Now I have to decide whether I want to do this. I do now, but not sure about next year if and when I move.

It is so much easier to be patient when you stay in the moment and in the day and take things as they come.