WEEKLY MEDITATION
Probably nothing in the world arouses more false hopes than the first four hours of a diet.
-Dan Bennett
It is easiest to make changes when we are inwardly motivated to do so. And it is at the beginning of any change that it is easiest to naturally feel the most inward motivation. There is an intoxication, even, in the novelty offered by the very beginning of a change. The problem is that this intoxication wears off as quickly as the novelty, and if we are relying on the buzz created by this novelty we will not be able to sustain the changes necessary to bring us out of addictive patterns. There is nothing wrong with feeling that which some refer to as a “pink cloud.” In fact it is wonderful to embrace the times when the motivation to keep working on our recovery seems to flow without our having to dig deep within ourselves to find it. But it is equally important to be ready and willing to stay involved even when there seems to be no natural inner drive to do so. We have to learn to create our own sense of motivation or, just as importantly, to keep on the path even when we aren’t motivated at all. Those first few hours are a gift, but to continue to receive it, we must provide it for ourselves with discipline and determination.
