The best thing that can come with success is the knowledge that it is nothing to long for. --Liv Ullmann
Success may be defined in many ways. In our youth, we may have measured success in terms of having a million dollars, two cars, a swimming pool. But we are coming to believe that success means staying clean and sober, living an honest life, and relying daily on our Higher Power.
Material success provides momentary pleasures but doesn't leave us with lasting happiness. We've all experienced the rush to buy another "toy," certain an inner void would be filled. Soon, we were tired of it and looking for another distraction.
We are now learning how to fill those voids with genuine sustenance; our daily commitment to the program and our relationship with God.
I will measure my success today by the quality of my sobriety and relationship with God.
never felt so empty, as when married, toys all over, bills all paid ahead of time, white picket fence, Euro-car in driveway... and miserable loneliness and isolation, dry drunk because I no longer participated in the lives of other AA's or went to meetings.... what a stark realization of how miserable I was....
So happy now, overall (some days are better than others), but that material stuff is not at ALL what I am focused on, it is gone now and I would not take it back in exchange for my sobriety this 24 hours... what is "success" to me is having people in my life, my family, AA people... and life is infinitely better, just for today.
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~Your Higher Power has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do.
