Foundation first
“As we begin to function in society, our creative freedom helps us sort our priorities
and do the basic things first.”
Basic Text p. 83
No sooner do we get clean than some of us begin putting other priorities ahead of
our recovery. Careers, families, relationships-all these are part of the life we find
once we’ve laid the foundation of our recovery. But we can’t build a stable life for
ourselves before we do the hard, basic work of laying our recovery foundation. Like a
house built on sand, such a life will be shaky, at best.
Before we begin putting all our attention to rebuilding the detailed framework of our
lives, we need to lay our foundation. We acknowledge, first, that we don’t yet have a
foundation, that our addiction has made our lives utterly unmanageable. Then, with
the help of our sponsor and our home group, we find faith in a Power strong enough
to help us prepare the ground of our new lives. We clear the wreckage from the site
upon which we will build our future. Finally, we develop a deep, working familiarity
with the principles we will practice in our continuing affairs: honest self-examination,
reliance upon our Higher Power’s guidance and strength, and service to others.
Once our foundation is prepared, then we can go full steam ahead to put our new
lives together. But first we must ask ourselves if our foundation is secure, for without
our foundation, nothing we build can stand for long.
Just for today: I will take care to lay a secure foundation for my recovery. Upon such
a foundation, I can build for a lifetime in recovery.