What is the difference between self-love and self-indulgence? Those two things often form an odd tension. I learned in the program that Easy Does It and that I cannot will myself to recover—I need help from others and a Higher Power, and I can’t force them to act. Gentleness and patience with myself are critically important recovery tools.

But is there a defect I’m allowing to run roughshod over my workday, my finances, or my family life?

E.g.: A distrust of others may seem intractable, immovable in my own power. But am I wielding the difficulty as an excuse to avoid trying, or risking what I can, even if it’s not very much?

Today, as I work, I will ask my Higher Power to reveal areas I might be indulging a destructive habit. I will strive to do what I can, even if my efforts feel tiny and inconsequential. In my Higher Power’s hands, they’re bigger than they seem.