“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.”

I once met a man who nearly lost his life in a car accident. As he told his story, he did so with such a smile. The accident wasn’t his fault, and yet he embraced his spared life and was beaming about the story. He could have been angry or resentful, but instead he chose to think about all the goodness in his life since. Sobriety can be like this. When we let go of the past, and embrace a renewed life, we don’t have much room for bitterness and resentments. We come to learn that some days will be good ones, and others not so much. But inside, we never lose sight of the gratitude that we have for the opportunity to break free from the bondage of addiction. Today, I will calculate the brightness of my light. I will acknowledge any progress I’ve made in my recovery that allows any light that shines within me among the darkness. Today I will work towards keeping my light shining, with the knowledge that the more willing I am to do the work of recovery, the more my light within will shine.