The Top 3 Priorities For Thriving in Life

This post reminds me of an old Jerry Seinfeld skit where he talks about the breakfast cereal called ‘Life’. “Like really, can you really name a cereal Life and be serious about it. Is it really that good, that important, boy the nerve of those guys:)…” In this case, we could attest to these types of priorities really being life important considerations. The top one for anyone in recovery, forever, is pretty obvious and in whatever shape or form you define it; we make it a priority to not take in poisons that we have the potential towards any addictive pattern behavior.

While on the road to sobriety, it is essential to gain this laser like focus and recognition/value attribution to this priority that we do not want to drink. White knuckling it is a tedious and flawed approach, but you have to start somewhere. Thriving in sobriety really happens when we have finally retrained the mind, beyond the old automated responses of the amygdala to reject alcohol cravings. The process of reaching this stage of change requires careful and rigorous planning along with studying and building up an arsenal of activities and responses that redirect or eliminate ‘triggers’. It becomes our sub priorities in life to build these defenses so that we can live up to our largest priority which is really just to stay alive, or not drink.

In becoming experts at staying alive, once full time sober, we experience the freedom of living a fuller life in so many ways. We are at this point, strong, confident and capable human beings living a more true version of ourselves. The emphasis of this particular thread here is that we can take this newfound strength of sticking to priorities to further improve our lives! Undoubtedly, our addictions were fueled by the residue of trauma in our former lives. Thus, to be happy and really thrive sober, we need to establish a new priority, which we are now capable of, which is living our authentic selves. Gabor Mate writes of how the losing of authenticity is a common trauma that opens us up to substance abuse. Substance abuse makes us a slave to those feelings rather than release us but by thriving in sobriety we are free to grow. As such, it is highly recommended you prioritize living your authentic self which can be an entire life pursuit in itself. Perhaps towards charity and self actualization at the same time. So there’s 2 priorities that are pretty undeniable. What’s your third? Enjoy the freedom to follow and build on new priorities in life after learning the hard way their importance from the first one.

Namaste