Those who have done the most for their recovery have been early, on a daily basis, to pour headway on their desires to remain clean.
He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunities and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking recovery will make poor headway seeking it the rest of the day – especially newcomers whose addiction had been escalating in an alarming manner. If recovery is not first in our thoughts and efforts, we may become sidetracked, by temptation, toward certain failure. Morning listlessness demands listless recovery.
It is not simply the getting up that puts recovery to the front, but it is the ardent desire which stirs and breaks all self-indulgent behaviors. Early morning promotion may also increase your strength to the desire rather than the quenching of it. This strength in the face of laziness and self-indulgence gives rise to our faith, fullness, and gladness during the labor of the day.
One of the biggest pitfalls I kept stepping into instead of around was that of placing recovery in the back of my mind, tucked away in a closet somewhere in the recesses, laying dormant and of no use to me. Leaving myself vulnerable and easy prey for the Jackal, I would wake up each morning with a clear head and feeling proud of myself for not using the day before, only to open myself open myself open for overconfidence, laziness, weakened desires for recovery, and self-indulging susceptibility. Robbing me of the warmth of my recovery, the beast seemed to radiate a chill that found its way into my flesh and into the deepest reaches of my mind.