August 6

Have you ever watched Seinfeld? You know, the ‘90s sitcom? There is an episode where one of the characters (George Costanza) decides that every decision he has ever made has been wrong. So he decides that he is going to start doing the complete opposite. He realizes that this new idea is actually working for him. He is surprised by how easy his life starts to go for him. In recovery, we call this idea “contrary action,” which we can use with great benefit in certain situations. For example, when we feel like not going to a meeting, we can find one to attend. When we think we should kill the neighbor, chop him up in little bite-sized chunks, and feed them to our dogs, maybe we should think about doing the opposite. This practice may take time; it does help to have someone bounce ideas off once in a while.

Reflections

When have you done the opposite of your instincts or usual behavior? Did it work out?

Daily Challenge

Find one thing you don’t want to do today, and then do it as soon as possible. Watch the growth happen!