“What if….”
“Living just for today relieves the burden of the past and the fear of the future. We
learned to take whatever actions are necessary and to leave the results in the hands
of our Higher Power.”
Basic Text, pp. 90-91
In our active addiction, fear of the future and what might happen was a reality for
many of us. What if we got arrested? lost our job? our spouse died? we went
bankrupt? and on, and on, and on. It was not unusual for us to spend hours, even
whole days thinking about what might happen. We played out entire conversations
and scenarios before they ever occurred, then charted our course on the basis of
“what if…” By doing this, we set ourselves up for disappointment after
disappointment.
From listening in meetings, we learn that living in the present, not the world of “what
if,” is the only way to short-circuit our self-fulfilling prophecies of doom and gloom.
We can only deal with what is real today, not our fearful fantasies of the future.
Coming to believe that our Higher Power has only the best in store for us is one way
we can combat that fear. We hear in meetings that our Higher Power won’t give us
more than we can handle in one day. And we know from experience that, if we ask,
the God we’ve come to understand will surely care for us. We stay clean through
adverse situations by practicing our faith in the care of a Power greater than
ourselves. Each time we do, we become less fearful of “what if” and more
comfortable with what is.
Just for today: I will look forward to the future with faith in my Higher Power.