Are you living in the present? You might be tempted to ask, “When else would I be living?” But the truth is, we spend most of our time living in the past or the future. We’re either stewing about something that happened or worring about something that might happen. We’re anywhere but right here, right now.
Addicts and alcoholics, in particular, tend to find it difficult to stay in the present moment. If you’ve had a history of unhappiness and trauma, there were probably times when the present was just too painful. Drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors numb you and take you out of the present. When you’re not numb, you’re busy keeping yourself busy—focused on something, anything, other than your reality.
But the truth is, what you’re trying to avoid is your sadness and pain about the past and your anxiety about the future. Right now, in this very moment, nothing is happening that you can’t handle. There’s nothing to worry about, nothing you need to avoid or escape.
If you want to know how your recovery is going, look at how you are living at this moment, right now, exactly where you are. When you direct your energy into simply being in the present, the Law of Sobriety says that you will realize, moment by moment, that you are doing exactly what you are meant to be doing.
Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a Psychotherapist and Life Coach. She has a private practie and is the Life Coach on Celebrity Rehab on VH1. She is the author of “The Law of Sobriety: Attracting Positive Energy for a Powerful Recovery”. Contact her to make an appointment. www.sgabatherapy.com
