"The monkey may be off my back, but the circus hasn't left town yet."
Once I had about 6 months of recovery, I began to feel as if my addiction was finally beginning to be manageable - I didn't crave it all the time, it didn't drive me as it once had, and I found myself thinking more about the steps, my life and the work ahead. The monkey was off my back.
But that didn't mean the circus of my life had left town. With the monkey gone, and my focus now redirected, I was confronted with the damage, the wreckage and the 'circus' of my life and my affairs. What a mess! I felt as if the different areas of my life were like separate Big Top tents - each with its own wild circus act going on, and all out of control. How was I ever to deal with it all?
One day at a time, that's how. One of the most valuable lessons I learned early on was that I hadn't created this mess in a day, and I couldn't fix it in a day, but one day at a time, with God's help, I could be honest, clean house, and sanity would return. And if did.
Today I'm happy to report that the circus, the monkey and all the ringleaders have left town. It's peaceful here now, and boy am I grateful.
