“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.”

– Caroline Burnett

As the new year is approaching, I looked back on my life for this past year. I realized that a great deal of the time, I looked to others – friends, family, partners, etc. – to save me and change my life for me. I used to think that in order for me to be the person that I wanted to be, I had change the people around me. As I had no control over others, I found myself become increasingly frustrated and further away from the person I wanted to be. Since I have been in recovery, I resort to this way of thinking less and less. Today, if I am unhappy or upset with a situation, I first try to find my part in it, look at my available options, and make a choice for myself as those are the things that I can control. I have learned that as I keep my focus on myself, I am able to change my own perspective and, in doing so, change my life. Nothing about my environment has changed since I have been in recovery, but, today, I am closer to the person that I want to be.

A meditation for December 31, 2012.

Call Me When You're Sober  – Evanescence