A Slogan and Its Context
One slogan I heard in the early days of recovery that I took too much to heart: fake it ‘til you make it. Wow! I was a past master at that! That was one short cut I had not expected! Although, no short cut ever led anyplace worth going. (Beverly Sills)
Faking it had been the theme song of my life.
- How much easier is it to fake faith in a higher power, than wrestle with His plans for my life?
- How much easier to mouth gratitude than spend some serious time thanking God and other people for their mercy to me?
- How much easier was it to glide over Steps Four, Five, Six, and Seven, like I once could bound up steps two at a time, than work them?
No, faking it didn’t get me sober, or keep me sober – but it gave me a pattern to follow. Especially when I don’t know what comes next.
A Pattern to Fake Until I Made It
- Don’t drink.
- When we surrender to our higher power, the journey begins.
- Get to a meeting. Alcoholism is not contagious
- Read the AA Big Book
Based on what I was told, my humble suggestion is that we find people who are working their programs, and imitate what they do. Is that faking your recovery? It’s more like walking around in a new pair of shoes until we comfortable in our daily sobriety.
When the shoes pinch, I examine what’s making me uncomfortable. I don’t fake that everything is fine because I am in recovery.
Life hurts. But the only shoes I want are my sober boots.
People I know who are going to meetings – serving –and staying sober are not faking it until they make it. They are practicing principles in their daily life that don’t come second nature: not using; being willing to learn; accepting that more will be revealed, and being grateful for what they’ve learned thus far.
If You Are Waiting for New Year’s Day to Stop
We all have another drunk left in us but we don’t know if we have another recovery in us. (AA Slogan)
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