Don't let life discourage you

Feelings of discouragement are to be expected as part of life. We will have our times of greater energy and hope and our times of feeling depleted and lost. As we mature we learn to see many peaks and valleys across the landscape.

Giving ourselves over to feelings of discouragement is self-indulgent and saps our strength. We cannot see into the future. The dailiness of our lives isn't always dramatic and doesn't usually offer great changes. But we are part of an unfolding process.

Looking back over just a week or a month, we can recall troubled times that now seem insignificant. We see other people and their progress, and we know they, too, grew just one day at a time and couldn't see what the future would bring them. So we continue—knowing that our process is hopeful—even though we cannot foresee the details of our future.

I have the strength to live through the peaks and valleys and to stay faithful to my recovery.