Sobriety is all about being awake. There are many forms of sobriety, sobriety in the body, in the mind, sobriety in relationships…
Waking up from being in the addiction to something can come about through being able to let go of the need to have that thing in your life. Giving up drugs and alcohol can be a great start to this journey and paints a great picture about waking up from addiction.
When we are in addiction, we are giving our power away. We use the substance to help us cope, we use it to feel good, to bring pleasure, though in the long run, these substances also bring a downfall. The substances that we used to make ourselves feel better actually bring ruin, and so being able to put down a substance and let go of that dependency is an aspect of waking up.
Sobriety also comes to us in thought patterns, and patterns of behaviour. We can see that we can be in a state of being in an addictive thought pattern, or behavioural pattern, and being able to put down, and let go of these can help us to wake up.
There are also addictions to food that we can let go of, and we must also be able to let go of toxic or addictive relationships.
This move towards sobriety is a grand undertaking. It is something that must be done in all areas of life, from drugs, to food, to thought and behaviours, and also with people.
It is all about the conviction to being awake. To being whole and complete, and not having anything that is holding you back from that. This is a long process that can take many years to complete, though the rewards are great.
Need creates suffering, and addiction and dependency are the ways that these aspects of our lives draw us in and keep us in addictive patterns. Releasing these addictive patterns can also be a slow process, something that you do over a long period of time. It is actually best to let go of one addictive thing at a time, this is so you do not overwhelm yourself.
Letting go of one addictive substance at a time will help you be able to actually let it go for good. Letting go of something that you eat on a regular basis that is not good for you, or letting go of someone in your life that is not good for you takes time. It takes effort, and it takes a lot of conviction to stay clean of that relationship, or that food, or that drink or substance.
Letting go is the first part of the process. Being able to put it down, is the first step. Then comes the long process of moving through the cravings until they disappear. This can take years for some things and weeks for other things, depending upon what it was that you put down. The greatest practice is not picking it up again! This is a decision that must be made within.
This is all about waking up! And staying awake! It comes from that place of wanting the suffering to end. And it comes from that place of sovereignty, the place of becoming independent.
I wish you all the best on your journey.
