Emotional Responsibility.

Responsibility seems to be the buzzword in life lately. Yes, being responsible entails going to work, taking care of ourselves, paying bills on time, making sure the dog is fed.

I find that making sure that the bills are paid is getting easier. Feeding the dog is necessary. Getting up and going to work is a given (though I am still always prone to think about picking up the phone when it's a beautiful day out and calling in sick, something that I don't even do anymore). But, when it comes to emotional responsibility, that requires more attention.

Emotional responsibility is one of those gray areas. We are accountable for our actions. We are responsible to ourselves and in turn, we are able to give ourselves more freely to others. When we are wrong, we should admit it, without excuses or blame. Many times we take responsibility for other people's actions so that we do not have to focus on our own. I know that I have taken on many circumstances in my life that did not belong to me. I did not have the ability to create necessary healthy boundaries to enable relationships to grow. I simply took on someone else or someone's issues and made them my own. This, along with undue stress, caused me to expend far too much energy in places I had no business.

Two days ago I realized that I am becoming more emotionally responsible each day. I let go of anger and rationalize. I think more before I react. I try to speak from reason and not from the seat of my pants. And in turn, I feel as if I have taken small steps forward in my own process. I own up to my emotions and try to be completely honest. Something that was always inconsistent.

It's a difficult process, however. Personally speaking, I had spent years shunning responsibility on a whole for the easy road. I skated through life blaming and speaking about change without ever really changing. I stopped drinking, yes, but the issues and emotions that came with that eventually overwhelmed me to the point of several confrontations and conflicts within myself.

I have accepted the fact that I may be emotionally challenged at times, but I am far from irresponsible. I understand what I am able to control what I am solely responsible for. And, I make mistakes. I falter occasionally. We all do.

I look at my emotional life in terms of a bank account these days (and why wouldn't I? I didn't have a bank account for almost four years because of my prior actions and now I have those silly checks with cartoons again). I have gotten out of emotional debt and am now working on replenishing my "savings" account. While I still worry about bouncing "emotional" checks, I've allowed myself some overdraft protection. I save, I spend, but I keep it as balanced as possible.

Last night, my love gave me one of the best unsolicited comments of our relationship yet. He said, "You are doing really well. Doing instead of talking". He also reminded me that it's okay that it's not perfect. That I am allowed to ask for help when balancing my emotional checkbook.

And to me, that again solidifies my need to be honest with myself. It's easier than blame. It allows me to contain my own life and do what's best for me, and in turn, continue to do what's best for those I love.

A long time coming....

It's hard to believe that in two months, I have put aside my sobriety for what I considered to be "life". I spent time finding a new job, spending time with my dog and saying that "tomorrow I would blog".

Tomorrow turned into days and weeks and suddenly, months. I started to lose sight of my sobriety. Though I haven't touched alcohol in almost four years, I lapsed into laziness. My focus was blurred by my need to what many people deem normal.

Normal doesn't cut it for someone in recovery. We battle self esteem issues. We strive to please everyone but ourselves at times. There's insecurity, issues trusting ourselves and the fundamental need to uncover the truth that lies within us.

And on top of that, I believe that we are challenged to be brutally honest with ourselves. And that honesty, I have found in the last two months, is sometimes painful and difficult to comprehend.

Those are the standard issues. There is also that perpetual monkey on our backs trying to coax one back into a life of irresponsiblity. And why not? It's easy. We can avoid the truth and skate through life. We can hurt those we love, leave them and never take responsiblity for it. Life as an active alcoholic allows us the freedom to lie and deceive those in our lives. It forces us to focus on everything but ourselves, the one element that needs the most attention.

This battle between life as it was and life as it is has really struck me in the last few months, as situations have forced me to put life into perspective. My reserves that I once drew upon were no longer sufficent. My morality, my character and my integrity almost became compromised at the hand of another's insecurity. I allowed myself to believe that maybe sobriety wasn't the way to go. That simply not drinking would suffice. And in the midst of this, I was trying to start a new job, new relationship and another chapter of my life.

And as I stared at a bottle of gin not too long ago, I knew that I had to begin the process of replenishing my emotional strength. I knew that if I continued to demoralize myself, to hurt myself by not living as fully as I am capable, that I would be back to a time four years prior. My drinking dreams weaved in and out of my nights. I cried for loss. I woke up panic striken that I would pick up a drink again to numb the pain I felt. I lashed out at the one man who took the time to understand me. All for the romantic notion that I could one day drink again.

So, in some ways, I feel like I am back on my path with baby steps this time. Perhaps not so much gusto, but goals and aspirations that befit my needs. That everything is not within my control and there will always be people who do not believe in change. There will also be a time where I may not be comfortable with the decision that I have made, but nonetheless, I have made a solid committment to myself and to those who continue to show love and support.

And I renew that committment to myself and my sobriety. The truth that lies within me has been in the works for many years. The road that I have put myself on remains rocky but passable.

And I have the honesty and strength that I thought to be nonexistent.

So, sobriety continues. Life continues. There are no straight answers, but many questions that will have to be put to rest for the time being. And I walk on, leaving the insecurity and negativity behind.