A recovering alcoholic is someone who has admitted that their relationship with alcohol is out of hand. This person has also made the decision to put an end to the power that alcohol once had on them. This is a long, difficult road, but it’s a road that leads to a much better life for the person in recovery and all of the people around them. Here are 15 motivational quotes to offer hope during your journey to a whole new you.
15 Motivational Quotes for the Recovering Alcoholic
1. “If you can quit for a day, you can quit for a lifetime.” ~ Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Starting is the hardest part of your new life as a recovering alcoholic. However, if you can get started, you are on the right track. If you can make it one day without alcohol, you can do it the next day, too. Take it day by day until it becomes your new normal. Remind yourself that the first step is the hardest part. If you managed to remain sober for a day or two, you might as well keep going.
2. “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Many of us think that strength means someone with big muscles, which can lift heavy things. However, Gandhi reminds us that true strength comes from within the mind and the spirit. You need to do your best to demonstrate this same kind of strength when it comes to your sobriety. No matter how hard you work out, this will be the biggest test of strength you’ve experienced yet.
3. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” ~ Ernest Hemingway
You may think that your sobriety demonstrates a weak part of your personality. On the contrary, you are demonstrating the strongest side of your personality. You are showing people that you are strong enough to admit your mistakes and face your problems. This is a strength you will be able to take with you throughout your recovery and the rest of your life.
4. “Change must start from the individual. And the individual must want and feel ready to make such change.” ~ Efrat Cybulkiewicz
If you aren’t ready for a change, no one can force you to make that change. If you aren’t ready, your efforts will be superficial and insincere. When you get the chance, you will go back to the bottle. Make sure that you are ready for sobriety, and you will be successful. If you aren’t ready, you shouldn’t bother going into recovery at all.
5. “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” ~ Robert Collier
You can’t expect to be a changed person with a changed life right away. You need to be patient. This process takes time. However, as long as you make small efforts toward your larger goal every day, you will get closer and closer until one day you are finally there.
6. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” ~ Henry Ford
Your mentality and attitude play a large role in your sobriety. Some people have a negative attitude going into it. They think they can’t do it or that sobriety will be dead boring. With this mentality, the recovering alcoholic is prone to relapse. Other people have a better mentality and feel ready to make a change. The outcome is up to the person. If you have a better attitude, you are more likely to generate positive results.
7. “The best way out is always through.” ~ Robert Frost
Many people want to skip the hard work and walk out on the other side of sobriety. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. If you want to get out of a situation, you have to go through it. You have to face your demons and go through the struggle. This is such a vital part of the process. That is because it forces you to grow in a way to arrive at the end.
8. “Your best days are ahead of you. The movie starts when the guy gets sober and puts his life back together; it doesn’t end there.” ~ Bucky Sinister
This is not the end of your story. In fact, your story is only beginning. Many people wasted a large portion of their lives in a drunken haze, which prohibited them from accomplishing their goals in life. Now that you are sober and your days of being an alcoholic are over, you can focus on the things you didn’t get to accomplish. You will make yourself a better person and create a better life for yourself.
9. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” ~ Alice Walker
You may feel that the alcohol has power over you. It can feel that way when you go to the liquor store, and you can’t seem to stop yourself. To take power away from a person or item, you need to acknowledge your power. You can create the life you want, and that includes saying no to alcohol. When you aren’t feeling powerful, you should read these motivational quotes to help build you back up.
10. “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ~ Confucius
A recovering alcoholic faces a lifelong process that requires a lot of dedication. Unfortunately, you aren’t able to make huge changes overnight. You need to work for days, weeks, months, and years. The longer you fight for your sobriety, the closer you will be toward your ultimate goal. It takes a lot of time since every day you move toward your goal, but the daily efforts are small.
11. “Your addiction is not you, but it feels like you because you’ve spent so much intimate time together.” ~ Toni Sorenson
When you get sober, you might not recognize yourself. You are used to seeing yourself as an alcoholic. You’ve spent so much time with the addict version of yourself that a new image can be quite jarring at first. However, you will get used to seeing yourself differently. Soon, you’ll see what a better person you are when sober. The person you expect to see in the mirror will eventually be the sober version of yourself. It will just take time.
12. “Nobody stays recovered unless the life they have created is more rewarding and satisfying than the one they left behind.” ~ Anne Fletcher
These motivational quotes remind us that we need a reason to stay sober. One of the best motivations could be a better life. Think of the things you may lose if you don’t change your life. You should also think of the things you could accomplish if you were only sober. Think of the benefits of these things. If you want a nice place to live and money for vacation and a happy family to enjoy these things with, it might be time to dedicate yourself to recover.
13. “Recovery is an acceptance that your life is in shambles, and you have to change.” Jamie Lee Curtis
Alcohol can destroy your life. It can ruin your job, ruin your relationships, and ruin your self-esteem. When this happens, you need to be able to recognize that you have a problem that is ruining your life. Admit that your life isn’t going well. You also need to admit that alcohol is the reason that your life isn’t going well. Finally, commit to change. The easiest way to get support to do this is through a recovery program.
14. “Addiction denied is recovery delayed.” ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana
Most people don’t want to admit that they have a problem. It makes them feel like a failure if they admit they need help. Maybe people are too proud or honestly don’t see the problem. The longer the person chooses to deny the problem, the longer it will take them to get help. If you are the one with an alcohol problem, follow these motivational quotes, and realize that it’s in your best interest to admit what is happening. Now that you’ve admitted the problem, you can take the necessary steps to help yourself.
15. “You feel your strength in the experience of pain.” ~ Jim Morrison
We’re going to end these motivational quotes with the idea that we find strength in our lowest points. You should see these as learning and growing moments. Admit your mistakes and face your demons to really get to the bottom of the problem. You will see just how strong you can be by facing your pain.
Final Thoughts: A Recovering Alcoholic Faces Struggles, But You Can Conquer the Addiction
These 15 motivational quotes can help anyone recovering alcoholic during recovery to build their spirit and continue fighting for a better life. If you were burdened with the fight for sobriety, you need to stay as positive as possible.
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