The school of recovery
“This is a program for learning.”
Basic Text p. 16
Learning in recovery is hard work. The things we most need to know are often the
hardest to learn. We study recovery to prepare ourselves for the experiences life will
give us. As we listen to others share in meetings, we take mental notes we can refer
to later. To be prepared, we study our notes and literature between “lessons.” Just
as students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge during tests, so do we
have the opportunity to apply our recovery during times of crisis.
As always, we have a choice in how we will approach life’s challenges. We can dread
and avoid them as threats to our serenity or we can gratefully accept them as
opportunities for growth. By confirming the principles we’ve learned in recovery,
life’s challenges give us increased strength. Without such challenges, however, we
could forget what we’ve learned and begin to stagnate. These are the opportunities
that prod us to new spiritual awakenings.
We will find that there is often a period of rest after each crisis, giving us time to get
accustomed to our new skills. Once we’ve reflected on our experience, we are called
on to share our knowledge with someone who is studying what we’ve just learned. In
the school of recovery, all of us are teachers as well as students.
Just for today: I will be a student of recovery. I will welcome challenges, confident in
what I’ve learned and eager to share it with others.