Making a Comeback After a Fall
By Damodar Roe
Turn a Setback Into a Comeback
Falling back into old habits is one of the most disorienting and demoralizing feelings in the world, especially when you thought you were done with them for good. I know what it feels like. You were confidently charging ahead, like an athlete crossing a tightrope—focused, sincere, and hopeful to reach the other side. But with a single wrong step, you fell down and crashed down to the unforgiving earth. It seems like, in just a few moments, you’ve lost all the progress you that worked so hard for. You start to question everything. Why can’t you stop doing this? Should you keep trying until your fortune changes? Should you change your approach? Should you give up since it seems impossible? It can be overwhelming to think about. With the fear that nothing will ever work, you doubt how you can ever reach freedom through self-control.
You’re not alone in feeling this way. There are countless people who have overcame addiction, and if you ask them, they’ll tell you that they had similar moments of despair. But what divides the people who remain stuck from those who break free? What turns a setback into a comeback?
Addiction is an enemy who uses the same deceptive tactics over and over again. As long as you want to be deceived into relapse, you will remain stuck in the same patterns. But when you’re honest and sincere, you don’t have to fall for the same old tricks more than once. You will learn from your mistakes, know what to predict, and gradually break free. Therefore, instead of doubting yourself after a setback, or spiraling into shame, you should embrace this moment as an opportunity to learn and grow. Mistakes are never final. They simply mean that you’ve discovered a weakness, and that’s the first step towards fixing it. Developing honesty and sincerity—even when your progress is imperfect—will give you the proper spiritual alignment to acknowledge and rectify your mistakes while affirming yourself. Then this setback, that seemed like a the end of the road, will actually become part of your great comeback.
reasons to be Hopeful
Now, as you pick yourself up from this setback, what you really need isn’t just a fresh start. You need hope that things can be different. Fortunately, every setback carries with it some lessons that can make you wiser when you accept them.
The first lesson is this not to let pride convince you that you’re invincible. The illusion of invincibility makes you callous to obstacles on the path. When you trip and fall over these unseen obstacles, it shatters your pride and leaves you feeling confused what happened. Pride comes before the fall. Therefore, instead of swinging to the opposite extreme of shame, acknowledge your vulnerabilities and prepare yourself to meet the same obstacles again—but this time more cautious and prepared.
The second lesson is that breaking free from addiction isn’t about dramatic, once-and-for-all declarations. Rather, you show your commitment by making consistent choices that, over time, make you stronger than your cravings. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but an obvious and immediate place to start is to eliminate your needless cheating. This isn’t sufficient on its own to overcome addiction, but it is absolutely necessary before you can make progress. Otherwise, if you’re not willing to let go of pride and needless cheating, your ideas of change are simply wishful thinking. But once you commit to give up pride and dishonesty, you can graduate from weakness to strength, and turn wishful thinking into real progress. This will give you a clear path forward with real promise for change.
There are four key elements that will give you hope for lasting change. Each one will be explained in the following sections, but here is a summary:
A worthy goal: You know where you’re going and why.
A winning strategy: You know what’s required to succeed.
Informed motivation: You have personal reasons to do the work that’s required.
Self-belief: You believe that you’ve got what it takes to succeed.
Of course, if you don’t know where you’re going, you can’t expect to get there. But you also have to know how to get there, and have the motivation and confidence that you can handle the journey. If you’re missing any of these key elements, then you’re not actually equipped to achieve the results you want yet. So if that’s the case, it’s not fair to criticize yourself for falling short of expectations that are actually unrealistic. Instead, set your mind on equipping yourself for the journey ahead.
Choose a standard of personal conduct that reflects your beliefs and values. Develop a strategy to reach that standard based on foresight and preparation for the obstacles ahead. Clarify the reasons you want to embrace this challenging adventure. Gain experiences that prove you’re capable of more than you realized. Then you will have reasons to feel hopeful, and this will translate into effective action, which is just what you need to make a real comeback.
A Worthy Goal
Repeated failures can break your spirit, and make you afraid to keep trying because further failures feel too painful. Giving in to this fear makes you procrastinate, give up, or settle for strange half-measures. For example, you might enjoy binging on junk food, but try to avoid gaining weight by spitting it out after chewing. You might try to quit hard drugs, but only for a week. Half-hearted goals like these will leave you feeling spiritually adrift—not fully committed to your values, but also restricted from enjoying the way you want to. Your mind is left in a state of confusion and self-conflict.
There is a powerful quote in the Bhagavad-Gita, which says: “People who doubt themselves will inevitably be lost. Therefore, the doubts which have arisen in your heart out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with spiritual discipline, O Bharata, stand and fight.”
Half-hearted attempts, procrastination, and giving up are the results of doubting you’re capable of real success. But these verses from the Gita assume that failure isn’t permanent. Rather, they’re the results not knowing how to succeed (ignorance) and not having the strength to follow through (weakness). This is great news because ignorance can be overcome by developing knowledge, while weakness can be overcome by developing strength. Instead of assuming that you’re incapable of reaching a worthy goal, therefore, assume that you simply don’t know how to get there yet, and that you need to grow stronger through practice. Rather than spitting food out to avoid the calories, you simply moderate your eating. Rather than trying to quit hard drugs for a week, you aim to quit for good because they don’t actually merit any place in your life.
Choose goals and standards that reflect your personal values and beliefs. Then, break down your highest ideals into bite-sized chunks, assuming that success is possible for you. Even when you make mistakes along the way, consider what you could have done differently that you would feel proud of yourself. Self-criticism should move from acknowledging your mistakes to identifying the positive alternatives you want to aspire for. And since you’re the person meant to achieve those alternatives, it’s essential to give yourself the emotional encouragement and practical care that you need to be successful.
Ask yourself these questions:
What goals or standards would I set for myself if I fully trusted my ability to follow through on them?
What makes these goals or standards meaningful or worthwhile to me personally?
How can I break these ultimate goals and standards down into achievable steps or sublevels?
When I look at choices I regret making in the past, what positive alternatives would I celebrate as I move forward?
The power of a worthy goal is that it has something no setback can take away, which is the fact that it’s meaningful to you. Even when you fall short of that goal, you can still remember why you ultimately want to achieve it. This will give you something substantial and positive to hold on to in those dark moments when you doubt yourself and feel lost. You might want to be a more reliable person for the people you care about. You might want to have a healthy, happy life. You might want to achieve something amazing. Whatever the reasons might be, when you deeply understand why the goals and standards you strive for are worthy and meaningful, it gives you an inner spiritual foundation that you can rely on in both the ups and the downs of recovery. In the words of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, “Even if you cannot do something yet, but you simply think, ‘How can I do it? How can I do it? How can I do it?’ then you will also become liberated.”
Mistakes are Part of the Journey
“Cheating and weakness are two separate things.” — Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Self-control isn’t an ability that you simply turn on like a light switch. It’s more like a muscle that you build with practice. That’s why, even with the best of intentions, it takes time to overcome any addiction, and you will most likely make mistakes along the way. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re insincere or hopeless. It only means that you’re learning something new and growing to new heights.
At the same time, you don’t want to make excuses and postpone meaningful change to a future that might never come. So how can you tell whether you’re making progress despite a few slips and setbacks, or you’re hopelessly repeating the same tired mistakes? To answer this question, you need to understand the difference between slipping and crumbling.
Slipping is a mistake that happens because of weakness. When you analyze what happened, the mistakes you made were not because of any informed, voluntary choices on your part. You were sincerely trying, and your mind was determined. But because you haven’t developed the strategy, strength, or support you need yet, you did something you regret. Don’t be too hard on yourself for this. Just like it’s not possible for a child to learn to how walk without falling sometimes, mistakes are part of the journey. As long as you give your best effort and learn from your mistakes, these setbacks are only temporary. So don’t be discouraged. Get back up and keep trying. You’re meant to stand and walk.
Crumbling is when you make choices that contribute to the problem. You might be going through the motions and saying all the right things. But you’re not sincerely trying to reach the actual outcome of sobriety. Instead, you find excuses that soothe your ego, avoid accountability, and create opportunities for more poor choices. The danger is that as soon as you allow yourself even one exception, you start to repeat that exception over and over. The exception becomes the rule. Every time you crumble, it puts your mind into an impulsive, careless state where you consider cheating even more. And you can’t make any progress while you’re in this mindset.
From an external point of view, slipping and crumbling look very similar—In fact, you’re engaged in the same unwanted behavior either way. But what makes the difference between the two is your inner mindset. No one slips on purpose. As soon as you fall on purpose, it’s not “slipping” but diving headfirst. We find this distinction in the philosophy of Western law. A first-degree crime is planned in advance, while a second-degree crime is spontaneous, and a third-degree crime is the predictable outcome of reckless behavior—like a homicide caused by drunk driving. So why is a person who planned a crime is punished more severely than someone who spontaneously did the same thing? Because he has a criminal mindset. Likewise, the important thing to note when evaluating your own setbacks is not just the action itself, but the mindset behind it. At all costs, you need to avoid harboring an addict mindset. More important than flawless execution is making sure that you’re not complicit in your own mistakes.
The good news is that getting your mind in the right place is a commitment you can actually keep. You might be hesitant if you’ve made larger-than-life commitments before, only to break them. But by understanding the difference between cheating and weakness, you will realize that even though it takes time to overcome an addiction, it’s always possible to refrain from cheating. In fact, cheating is only defined as cheating because it’s based on poor thinking and choices that you could have avoided. Likewise, doing your best, however imperfectly, is always an option. So make an unconditional commitment to be honest, do your best, learn from your mistakes, and refrain from needless cheating. And don’t be discouraged if your journey is gradual and imperfect. The depth of your sincerity will carry you through the challenging journey to transform your character.
A Winning Strategy
The main dilemma for anyone trying to overcome addiction that desires, fantasies, and excuses come to the mind automatically. They’re also very powerful. One moment you think you’re safe, and the next you’re struggling to resist a terrible thought. Until you find a power inside yourself that enables you to remain unmoved by these inner demons, so to speak, the situation will seem truly hopeless. That’s why, as you sincerely look for the path to freedom, you need to find a place inside yourself that can stand strong against the onslaught of unworthy cravings.
The Bhagavad-Gita reveals how you can find this place inside yourself. It’s nothing mystical or hard to understand. But by developing the human faculties you already have—your awareness and your intelligence—you can become more aware of your instincts and choose which ones are worth translating into action. Your awareness allows you to notice your own impulses, and your intelligence empowers you to evaluate them on their own merit acting. Think before you act.
Your awareness and intelligence can be thought of as your higher self, or your inner authority. When an impulse or impression arises in your mind, the role of your inner authority is to notice and think twice before acting on it. For example, you might feel strong attraction for someone else’s spouse, but then let it go because you know it’s not a good thing to pursue. By keeping your inner authority in proper alignment, you can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble. Even when you’re torn and conflicted with thoughts and feelings that pull you in a million different directions, your inner authority can give you clarity by determining which direction is truly worth pursuing.
You want to apply your intelligence to a winning strategy. The most obvious place to start is to stop doing things you know you know are only making the situation worse. But you can go even further than not cheating. You can also use your intelligence to do the opposite of cheating.
Instead of avoiding challenges, embrace them.
Instead of playing with fire, avoid unnecessary risks.
Instead of making excuses, evaluate your beliefs on their own merit.
Instead of giving up, give your best effort.
It’s not possible to achieve a full recovery from addiction without following these principles, and therefore we can call them laws. In fact, once you find yourself neglecting one or more of these laws, you can expect that relapse isn’t very far away. For this reason, be careful. Rather than measuring your progress by how much you think or talk about change, measure how well you’re aligning your choices with these prerequisites.
Now, let’s explore these four laws in more detail, which lie at the heart of a successful comeback.
Law 1: Embrace Challenges
Imagine that you’re stuck in a dark, cold well. Luckily, there’s a sturdy ladder that’s just tall enough to reach the surface. But the main thing you notice is that the cold is really biting, so you want to get nice and warm before you start the long climb to the top. You break the ladder into pieces and make a fire. It feels really cozy for a few hours. But then you realize your mistake: You’re stuck now with no way to get out.
The moral of the story is: Life is hard. Sometimes the only way out of an unpleasant situation is to accept some temporary discomfort while you do whatever it takes to better position yourself. No matter how bleak things get, there’s always something you can do to make life better. The important thing is taking action to change your circumstances, rather than trying to numb your pain while keeping it the same. Trying to numb your pain doesn’t actually solve the problem. You remain stuck in the same dark place, becoming more and more dependent on addictive habits to cope. The longer you procrastinate the work that needs to be done, the more you feel incapable of handling life sober. You lose your power and freedom to control yourself and your destiny. Therefore, do the opposite. Accept your pain and face your challenges head-on, so that you can build your self-confidence and make life better.
Embracing challenges is not about punishing yourself or suffering for its own sake. It’s about aligning your actions with your higher values and making choices that are better for you in the long-term. You start to see comfort as a preference rather than a necessity, and discomfort as something you can move through with intention. Each time you do, you prove to yourself what you’re capable of and deepen your self-respect. Therefore, instead of running away from your pain, take care of yourself, work harder, grow stronger, and embrace challenges that will deepen your integrity and improve the circumstances of your life. When you see this journey as serving your best interest, you’ll have a positive attitude that empowers you to keep going when it’s hard. That way, even when you make a mistake, getting back on track will be a return to something you love.
Law 2: Avoid Unecessary Risks
Self-sabotage is when you act like you’re committed to recovery while simultaneously making choices that indirectly lead to relapse. There are two main types of self-sabotage—one that begins with the senses, and one that begins with the mind. Now, let’s take a look at both.
Sensual self-sabotage
Sometimes, self-sabotage begins on a sensual level. You experience something that sparks an intoxicating feeling, and then you want more of this initial sample. Lowering your guard to risky situations and behaviors, you ignore the potential consequences. The hope is to be swept away by some outside force—to cross the line without fully admitting you surrendered to the momentum that got you here. The illusion of being a victim makes feel like you can’t be held accountable. It’s a way we try to resolve the inner conflict between our desires and higher judgment. But deep down, you know the power that sampling has to provoke your desires and overwhelm your resistance. It’s just foreplay.
A lot of times, we justify the mistake of playing with fire by saying that we’re just “testing our resolve.” But we don’t become stronger by playing with fire. It’s only leads to relapse. If you really want to develop strength, then face the challenges in important areas of your life and work hard to make life better. Don’t waste time loitering in places—online or offline—that spark desires for things you shouldn’t be doing. And when you can’t completely avoid such places, it’s best to minimize your time spent there and to be on guard, just like when you walk quickly through the city at night, being cautious of strangers until you’re safe at home.
Many forces in society—like advertisers and corporations—deliberately use psychology to hijack your attention and create a sense of lack so you’ll buy what they’re selling. If you aren’t aware of how this manipulation works, you might believe you’re following your own desires, when they were actually planted in your mind by others. The good news is you don’t have to learn all the tricks in the book to break free. Simply cultivate a skeptical attitude of indifference to any influences you know are trying to sell you something that goes against your values.
One of the smartest things you can do in recovery is to anticipate your own impulsivity. Don’t wait until you feel overwhelmed to start thinking clearly—by then, it’s often too late. You already know your patterns. You know the places, times, and moods that make you more likely to crumble. So instead of assuming you’ll always have the determination to resist, take protective measures ahead of time. Create distance between you and your temptations, place barriers in the way, and add friction into the process of relapse, so that you can’t “accidentally” stumble across the very thing you're trying to quit. At the same time, make it as easier to engage in important activities, placing all the tools within your reach, removing obstacles, and making the process as streamlined as possible. You don’t have to be perfect in your determination when you create an environment that protects your future self from reckless moments. Of course, these changes won’t solve everything. But they give a fighting chance. Strength isn’t always about saying no—it’s also about setting yourself up to make it easier to say yes to what truly matters.
Mental self-sabotage
Sometimes, self-sabotage begins on a mental or emotional level—where you disturb your mind on purpose, realizing intuitively that it will trigger desires for escape. You might dwell on resentful thoughts, feeling sorry for yourself and reasoning that you don’t deserve to suffer this way, and justifying a splurge to make yourself feel better. You might obsess over the “evilness” of addiction in a way that keeps your mind focused on it, until your adverse thoughts turn into desire. Whatever form this self-sabotage might take, disturbing your own mind is a strategy where you pursue a relapse indirectly while trying to avoid responsibility for your choices.
The key to overcoming self-sabotaging thoughts is to focus on what you can control, and let go of what you can’t. When you notice you're getting caught in self-sabotaging thoughts, pause and take a deep breath. Ask yourself: Is this something I really need to deal with right now, or is it just playing on repeat in my mind? And then: How much control do I actually have over this? If it’s mostly in your head, remind yourself that thoughts aren’t reality—you have the power to choose where you focus your attention. Accept what’s outside your control, and shift your energy toward what you can change.
Lastly, you don’t need to eliminate disturbing thoughts entirely—that’s not a realistic goal. Instead, focus on how you respond to them. You’re not obligated to believe every impression or act on every impulse. The key is to stay conscious and intentional with your beliefs and actions, so that the presence of difficult thoughts doesn’t erode your self-control or pull you away from your deeper values.
Law 3: Don’t Accept Excuses
No one likes to feel ashamed of themselves. Even when we make serious mistakes, we often try to justify them to make ourselves look better. We blame circumstances or other people, reason why we had no choice, or point to other people who seem worse. There are endless diversions you can come up with. But no matter how clever the reasoning, the real purpose behind any excuse is to soften the guilt over something that, deep down, you know was a poor choice. That’s why making excuses is another form of cheating.
Making excuses is a form of self-deception that undermines your intelligence. Instead of thinking about what’s right and then guiding yourself accordingly, you hide your mistakes behind a mask of stories that justify your hidden intentions. In other words, you start with a desire and then bend logic to support it. This turns your mind into a tool for self-sabotage instead of self-mastery. It’s like a judge taking bribes from a defendant. This corruption comes at the cost of undermining your own determination, accepting lies as truth, and making poor decisions that have real consequences.
What makes something an excuse? An excuse is strong enough to justify pulling the trigger, but not strong enough to hold up to real scrutiny. It’s a kind of reasoning designed for the effect of weakening your resistance to something you crave, rather than to uncovering the truth. When you’re in doubt, imagine seeking feedback from someone you trust and respect. Would you be confident in your reasoning? There’s nothing wrong taking breaks or enjoying treats in moderation, for example. But there are also ideas that are obviously indefensible, like stealing prescription drugs. The more you expose your thinking about a habit under question, the more you open up the opportunity to find healthy alternatives. This is how you break free from self-deception and start making choices that align with your values.
There are two times when it’s most important to avoid making excuses:
During moments of cravings: It’s important to recognize that intense cravings come with crazy thoughts. Recognize this experience for what it is: a temporary state of insanity. Any thoughts that seem to justify bad choices cannot be taken seriously. Invalidate them all. As long as you don’t endorse any of these cravings as good ideas, there’s no need to wish the storm would go away. Just be patient and it will pass on its own.
After you make a mistake: Don’t let all-or-nothing thinking drive you from one extreme to another—expecting complete success overnight and then using the slightest mistake as a license to jump off the cliff headfirst into a binge. Progress isn’t about perfection. It’s about getting back on track without letting one mistake determine your whole journey. Even when you lose control, minimize the damage as much as you can, and get yourself back on track as quickly as possible. Allowing your mistakes to spiral completely out of control is a sign of making excuses.
Think of yourself as a seeker of truth. With every excuse that you expose and reject, you are sharpening your mind, aligning yourself with reality, and affirming that values that define who you ultimately are.
Instead of being a prisoner to hidden biases and rationalizations, you become a person who sees things as they are and acts with real power. The more honest you are with yourself, the sharper your thinking becomes, the stronger you grow, and the more capable you are of achieving what truly matters to you.
Law 4: Don’t Give Up
The final step in all relapses is giving up. At some point, you realize that you’re on the wrong track and quickly reaching the point of no return. You could stop right there and turn around, but instead you say, “screw it” and impulsively keep going. Reaching this final step is the culmination of a slow drift that began with several moments of complacency, dishonesty, and poor decision-making. You’ve given up way too much ground and put yourself into a weak position. You’re selling yourself short when you could do much better.
Recovery is a fight. And at some point, that fight can get ugly. You’re tired, stressed out, and having a hard day. There’s a thought in the back of your mind that if you just stop trying, you can take the easy way out. It seems like giving into urges makes them go away. But this relief is only temporary, and it reinforces your resistance to a fight that’s coming back soon.
A warrior doesn’t abandon the fight just because it’s tough. Rather, the motto is: Go down swinging. Die trying. You might not avoid every strike the enemy throws at you, but by staying in the fight even during the most difficult moments, you will eventually prevail. Even when you can’t be perfect, minimize the damage and get back on track as quickly as possible. Keep proving to yourself that you can rise above temptations, and in time, you’ll become someone who never even considers surrender an option.
Mentorship With Accountability
Everyone makes mistakes. But as long as you’re not engaged in dishonesty and self-sabotage, it’s only a matter of weakness, and not cheating. That’s why the most important kind of accountability is not superficial and judgmental, but deeply introspective and curious by nature. You don’t just report your actions. You also acknowledge what was going on in your mind and heart at the time of the setback. Then you evaluate the choices you made in response, remembering that you don’t have to act on every impulse you feel.
Being honest is absolutely necessary before you can expect real progress. But you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. In fact, accountability works best in relationship, not isolation. Otherwise, you might get lost trying to figure what to do. You might not notice how you’re biased towards confirming your own preconceived notions or justifying what you already want to do. You might not even realize you have an unhealthy pattern in your life because it’s so familiar it doesn’t catch your attention anymore. On your own, it’s too easy to fall back into old habits, leaving your mistakes unexamined because of making excuses or simply not thinking. A mentor is a separate individual who can give you objective feedback, challenge your assumptions, and bring important issues to your attention.
Work with your mentor to clarify your values in a way that makes it clear what goals and standards you should be striving for. Talk about what’s holding you back—like doubts, fears, or confusion. Talk through those issues and clarify the reasons why you want to overcome your addiction. Commit yourself to reporting all your errors, excuses, and self-sabotaging behavior. Simply knowing that you will have to explain your choices is enough to protect you from acting on any ideas that you wouldn’t be confident to present to another. Your mentor will give you the perspective and insights you need. They will encourage you to believe in yourself and you will celebrate your wins together. As you begin to reach new milestones every day, your mentor will guide you through new territory, saving you the trouble of having to learn from trial-and-error.
Until you’re able to control yourself without support, you need to meet with your mentor regularly. They might not perfectly match your preferences, but this doesn’t have to stop you. Use the discomfort as a motivation to graduate the program. Otherwise, simply knowing that you can get away with cutting corners is a powerful trigger you might not be ready for.
Informed Motivation
“A person who is not shaken by the movements of the mind is situated as if he is above it all. He sees that the laws of nature alone are acting. Therefore, he is said to have transcended them.” — Bhagavad-Gita 14.23
Breaking free from addiction is like finding your way out of a maze. If you keep making choices that are impulsive and short-sighted, you won’t be able to understand how you’re stuck going around in circles. But by climbing a ladder to look at the maze from above, you will recognize which turns lead to freedom, and which ones will keep you stuck. The way to do this is by patiently reflecting on your past mistakes and recognizing patterns. What has made you successful? What has led to unnecessary setbacks? Addiction is very predictable by nature, so it shouldn’t remain a mystery what will help you and what will hinder you.
Heal your pain, rather than numbing it.
Solve your problems, rather than running away from them.
Find positive engagements, rather than loitering in tempting situations.
Focus on what you can control, rather than getting upset about what you can’t.
Discipline your habits according to your values, rather than justifying compromises according to your desires.
Put your full effort into a positive direction, rather than quitting as soon as the going gets tough.
Some people think of quitting a habit as a loss. Others, however, see it as an opportunity. The difference between these two people lies in what they value. The person who refuses to give up cheating, even shown his mistake, is short-sighted. He only considers how the addiction feels in the moment, (good); compared to how self-control feels in the moment, (bad). But the intelligent person has a broader vision. He realizes that there are more important things in life than comfort, which when given too much importance, can actually interfere with your integrity and well-being. Therefore, he’s happy to embrace some short-term sacrifices for the sake of his own self-interest.
There is only way to shift from lamenting the loss of addictive habits to celebrating that state of sobriety. No external cause or mechanical process can make you choose the higher path. “Rock bottom” is a myth. Not even your mentor can make you sincere. It’s ultimately up to you. It has to come from your own heart, after understanding what’s required to be successful. But it’s based on the understanding that quitting is in your self-interest, even though it’s hard.
Self-Belief
Even after you commit to change, there might be some setbacks. But once you commit to this path you will never crumble. And eventually, once you’ve developed the strength and determination you need, you will stand, walk, run, jump, and fly—without ever slipping—just like you’re meant to.
Believing in yourself comes from the experience of reaching new levels. You realize that you’re capable of more than you thought. So wherever you are on this path—whether you’ve failed repeatedly or you’re reaching new milestones daily—this present moment is the only place from which to move forward. This is where the rest of the fight begins. Therefore, embrace the challenges in your life, avoid unnecessary risks, don’t accept excuses, and don’t give up. Each time you say, “no” to urges and temptations, you gain a reason to believe that you can do it again. You’re capable of lasting change.
Thanks for Reading!
Understanding this knowledge is step one. But you need to go a step further to see how it applies to you. Click the link below to fill out the Relapse Evaluation Form. It will help you to identify key mistakes you’re making that once eliminated, will place you safely on the path to complete freedom.
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