"We became addicted to excitement." BRB p. 16

For most people, a lot of things can create excitement: seeing a new movie, having a favorite old friend visit, preparing for a holiday, shopping, getting a new pet, celebrating birthdays, and even sex. But the problem for many adult children is our need to create excitement in order to feel alive. Too often, this is done in a negative way that harms us and our relationships.

In adulthood, this addiction to excitement can play out in many ways, including starting frequent arguments with a spouse, having an affair that creates excitement and then pain, playing extreme sports because we crave the adrenaline rush, or using drugs or alcohol to feel "up." If we don't have a certain level of excitement in our lives on a regular basis, we feel like life is boring, something's just not right, we are missing out, or maybe we are just not loved.

In recovery, we can identify the ways in which we create excitement that harms us and our loved ones. We then learn to stop ourselves before we go over the line. This can give us a sense of calm that may seem uncomfortable at first, but we'll get used to it. This is part of learning who we are.

On this day I pray for the wisdom to identify negative excitement that I may create. I no longer wish to harm myself and others by this behavior.