It may be easy to think that our attitude doesn’t matter when we are recovering, but I beg to differ. I have found that having the right attitude has been just as important as forgiveness and perseverance. In my new memoir, Washed Away: From Darkness to Light, I share why attitude is critical for those recovering from addictions.
When I made the decision to leave the modeling industry, I was forced to confront all of my destructive behaviors and truths head on. Life was not fun anymore; it was painful because I had to face my real self. On top of it all, I had to recover, and there were many times where my family and I thought that I was going to die; living became a moment-by-moment process, not day-by-day.
But pushing through, and working with my mentor helped me to understand that having the right attitude was essential to my recovery because life is life and it is not going to change according to my feelings. If it did, then I’d float around on a pink, fluffy cloud all day and avoid pain and growth! That’s not realistic, though; to rise higher, we have to feel pain. Keeping the right attitude makes the growth process tolerable, and it helps to develop our character, which is necessary for every stage of life.
–Washed Away: From Darkness to Light
Prideful Attitudes
Yes, a big part of me that thought that the world would somehow conform to my feelings, my needs and my wants. After all, I was on the road to recovery! I was too good to be an addict, my pride shouted.
So, the rest of the world had to catch up to speed and do things my way. Well, that kind of thinking didn’t last very long. After about, oh, a half a second, I fell on my face. And then, I did it again. And again, and again.
A Change of Attitude
And so it was during those falls that I had to make the decision to have a good attitude. My recovery depended on it; my very life depended on it. And above all, if I wanted to grow and become the person that God wanted me to be, I had to learn how to endure the hard times during recovery.
The hard times make us strong, beautiful, and better servants for the world. Like my favorite pastor Joel Osteen said, “Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you’re going to live your life.”
So, what kind of attitude are you going to have today?
About the Author: Nikki DuBose is a former model turned author, advocate, and ambassador. Her debut memoir, Washed Away: From Darkness to Light, details her recovery from trauma, severe mental illnesses and the dark side of the modeling industry. Nikki has been featured on television shows and networks such as The Doctors, The TD Jakes Show, CBS Los Angeles, and the Oprah Winfrey Network, and profiled in publications such as People, LA Times, Vogue UK, Esquire, India Times, and Inquisitr. To find out more about Nikki, visit http://nikkidubose.com/.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of addictions. These are not necessarily the views of Addiction Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Addiction Hope understand that addictions result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an addiction, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on February 20, 2017.
Published on AddictionHope.com