In sobriety, sometimes all we have is our word. We lived our lives in such a way that our friends and loved ones have grown accustomed to our lies. They have heard time and time again that we are sorry and that we will stop drinking or using drugs, but we were never able to keep those promises. In our recovery, the only way to show them that we have changed and taken on a life of spiritual principles is through our actions and by sticking to our word. Baltasar Gracian, a Spanish Jesuit, writer, and philosopher, once said, “A single lie destroys a while reputation of integrity.” While we may stick to our promise of staying sober, if we continue to behave in a dishonest manner, we are unlikely to regain the trust of our friends and family. If we lie to them, they will also be unlikely to believe us about our desire to maintain our sobriety and change our life for the better. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous explains, “We must remember that ten or twenty years of drunkenness would make a skeptic out of anyone.” We cannot become upset because they do not trust us simply because we are no longer drinking or using drugs. Instead, we can do our best to understand the impact of our behavior and attempt to set things right by showing our new way of life through our actions and following through with any promises we make. Our word is important. Our recovery is a process of divorcing ourselves from selfishness and dishonesty. Therefore, we cannot allow ourselves to lie or make false promises. In Don Miguel Ruiz’s book, The Four Agreements, he explains that the first major agreement that we should make with ourselves is to always be impeccable with our word. Ruiz explains, “Being impeccable with your word is the correct use of your energy; it means to use your energy in the direction of truth and love for yourself. If you make an agreement with yourself to be impeccable with your word, just with that intention, the truth will manifest through you and clean all the emotional poison that exists within you.” By making the decision to be impeccable with our word and keeping the promises that we make, we can show our friends and family that we have turned a corner in our lives and intend to live differently, with a code of love and tolerance of others.
Your story can become one of happiness, joyousness, and freedom. You can make the decision to seek help now and embark upon the rewarding journey of recovery. Oceanfront Recovery, a licensed Men’s Substance Abuse Disorder and Dual-Diagnosis Treatment Center located in the heart of Laguna Beach, offers highly effective treatment that is intended to address the individual needs of each client and to support re-integration into independent living. For information about individualized treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
