Recently, I attended an AA meeting as a requirement for my Drugs and Alcohol class. I went with some of my friends who are in the same class. I was expecting it to be awkward beyond belief (and it was a little awkward, I won’t lie). But what I wasn’t expecting was for so many of their ideas to touch base with me, like:
Our purpose in life is to serve others.
One woman gave her story and said, “I was always told I was on this earth to get more for myself, but now I know that my purpose in life is to serve others.” What a humbling reminder. It is so easy to get caught up by your own selfish concerns, especially when you’re young and trying to make a life for yourself. But at the end of the day, what matters most is serving others. We are called to be kind. Yes, I think it’s important for individuals to be happy, but not at the price of others. What’s more, making others happy never fails to make me happy. Being a good person isn’t that hard, and it just feels good to do the right thing.
Surround yourself with people who lift you up.
There was a man there who said that when he’s in addiction he’s a solitary person, and when he’s in recovery he’s a people person. I can understand this because I often tend to isolate myself, but it just causes to make things worse. When I am with my friends, I feel so much better. They make me laugh even when I don’t feel like laughing, and they remind me of the good in the world even when it feels like all I can see is the bad. It’s important to surround yourself with positive, uplifting people because they will drive you to be a better person. There’s a saying that if you’re the smartest person in the room, you need to find another room, because how else are you going to grow? It’s like that.
Be grateful.
The topic that day was the second step, which roughly, “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” One of the men there said, “The definition of insanity is getting what you need and wanting more.” This spoke to me because it so often seems like reaching my goals is not enough; there’s always something else that I should strive for. As soon as I reach one goal, it’s on to the next; I very seldom pause to acknowledge my successes. This quickly takes its toll, because it’s so draining to always be living for the next thing. Be grateful for what you have; be actively thankful for the things you have going on in your life—you will become so much more positive.
It seems a little silly that I had to go to an AA meeting to realize these things, but it offered me a change in perspective. You don’t have to go to an AA meeting to change your perspective, but you will have to get out of your comfort zone. Go to a movie by yourself. Get up early and watch the sunrise. Enjoy your life, because you only get one.