Rock-Bottom
Anyone who knows me or has followed my blog knows that I have long studied and promoted recovery—both in my own recovery and as a professional working with others. One thing I know for sure is that no one changes until they think they absolutely have to—until they hit rock-bottom. I also have observed that rock-bottom is not only different for everyone, but rock bottom is wherever the individual says it is. It is when the person says, “If I keep doing what I am doing something I really, really don’t want is going to happen.”
In previous posts I have drawn an analogy between personal recovery from addiction or mental illness and collective recovery, such as a nation pulling back from the brink of civil war—or recovering from a civil war. I don’t think it is a stretch for me to say that America is deeply troubled right now and is in need of some recovery work. The only question right now is: have we hit rock-bottom? It is up to us individually to decide when to start the hard work of recovery.
I am hoping that when a violent mob, instigated and directed by the President, his son and attorney; storms the Capitol building to stop official certification of an election he lost—is rock-bottom. Clearly, we need to change. Change will come. The only question is: when will we decide to do the hard work of recovery? Where is our rock-bottom?
If we decide to start the hard work of recovery, where do we start? We have to accept some hard truths. For example: Donald Trump lost the election fair and square. Joe Biden will be the next president. Accept it. The millions of people who did not vote for Trump the first time had to accept that he won. We did not like it, but we did not try to violently change the results of that election.
On the flip side, those of us who voted democratic must accept that those on the other side are most likely decent people who love their country as much as we do. The next time you are in a public place where there are other people, like a grocery store, look around. Almost half of those people voted for Trump. They are our friends, neighbors, and families. I urge you to set your judgmental thoughts aside and accept the truth of it. You are not going to change their minds by telling them how wrong they are. If that approach worked, there would be no alcoholics in the world.
Full recovery for a nation—like an individual—will take a long time. For now, lets start by accepting those difficult truths. Let us remember we are a nation of laws. Let us remember that we are all Americans. And finally, let us remember that CHANGE IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT. We have the power to direct that change if we as individuals decide to do the hard work of recovery. Let us declare as a nation that we have hit our rock-bottom
