Recovering from alcohol or drug addiction is not easy. Often, the disease of addiction has worn a person down to the point that they may have almost no confidence in themselves and their ability to face the challenges and roadblocks along their path back to sobriety.
Words of Wisdom Are Welcomed by People in Successful Recovery
When difficulties arise – and they will – it can often be helpful to have motivational and inspirational sayings at the ready. These aren’t mere platitudes. The right words at the right time can help a recovering addict/alcoholic in several ways:
- They can serve as reminders about what is important and what is possible.
- They can give a person in recovery the positive “push” they need to continue working at their sobriety.
- They can restore a person’s self-confidence in their own worth.
- They can help a person focus on the present – this specific moment of their journey of recovery.
#1. “Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.”
Self-improvement pioneer Dale Carnegie’s famous saying illustrates how time is always moving forward, giving us all constant chances for improvement. It reminds us to focus on what we can do today because tomorrow is coming soon enough.
#2 “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Elliott, reminds us that as long as we are alive, we have an opportunity to improve ourselves. For a recovering addict or alcoholic, this means that they can always regain sanity and serenity in their life, no matter what has happened in the past.
#3 “If you are aware of your weaknesses and are constantly learning, your potential is virtually limitless.”
Banking executive Jay Sidhu’s maxim can be viewed as an approximation of the “fearless moral inventory” that 12-Step recovery describes. This saying describes the awareness of self. When a person is honest about their own shortcomings and is sincere in their desire to overcome them, it is that much easier to adopt an effective plan of recovery.
#4 “Begin at once to live, and count each day as a separate life.”
Even though he lived 2000 years ago, the words of Roman statesman Lucius Annaeus Seneca still have profound meaning today. People for recovering from alcoholism or drug addiction are told to live “one day at a time”, meaning that each day is a new beginning and an opportunity to create the life that one desires, no matter what came before.
#5 “The price of greatness is responsibility.”
Winston Churchill has always been one of history’s most quotable world leaders. This famous saying echoes the teachings found within 12-step literature. Once a person takes responsibility for their own actions, they gain the power to make amends. Once the person accepts responsibility for their own recovery, they gain the power to affect real change in their life.
#6 “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
Famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar reminds us that good intentions without action do not produce results. Too many people needing recovery delay beginning until… with a litany of excuses. When is the perfect time to begin recovery and a journey back to sobriety? The answer is always right now.
#7 “Let go, and let God.”
The very definition of addiction is that a person is powerless over their drug of choice – they are unable to get sober solely through their own efforts. It requires the help of something outside of and larger than themselves. This “Higher Power” can take many forms – the recovery process itself, the group consciousness and support of others in 12-Step fellowship meetings, or a person’s concept of God as they understand Him. By whatever name, this Higher Power is there even when a person is at the end of their own strength.
#8 “Easy does it”
It is natural in recovery – especially early recovery – for the newly-sober individual to want to right every wrong they have committed and fix every mistake they have made. Patience is not typically an addict’s/alcoholic’s strong suit, and they want their sobriety now. This often means that they take on too much, too soon, invariably setting themselves up for too much pressure and risk of relapse. This old adage reminds a person in recovery to relax, to have faith in the process, and to not overextend themselves farther than their sobriety will allow.
#9 “KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid”
This is one more favorite saying of people who participate in 12-Step fellowship-based recovery programs, and in some ways, it is an extension of the preceding saying. As stated earlier, recovery from addiction is hard – but it doesn’t have to be complicated. It is possible for a person to over-think their recovery, and this is especially dangerous since the addict’s/alcoholic’s way of thinking is what got them into trouble in the first place. By “keeping it simple”, a person in successful recovery can focus on correctly taking small steps, one at a time, until there emotional/psychological footing is more secure.
#10 “Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the light, even though for the moment you do not see.”
This quote by Bill W., the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, is all about having faith in the process of recovery. The idea is to keep working at sobriety, doing the right things because eventually, the way becomes clear.
What Makes a Good Inspirational Saying for a Person in Recovery from Alcoholism or Drug Addiction?
Inspirational quotes and sayings are highly personal – there’s no telling what makes a quote resonate with a person, but when someone finds their own personal “words to live by”, those words can become their own mantra that keeps them on the right path. The right words at the right time can inspire, console, educate, motivate, remind, and empower a person, greatly increasing their chances of achieving sobriety through a successful recovery.