“Courage: for it is by accustoming ourselves to despise objects of fear and stand up against them that we come to be brave; and after we have come to be so we shall be best able to stand up against such objects. “ Aristotle - Nicomachean Ethics  Book II  Chapter 2

Thia is some ancient wisdom that is relevant today and was important for me as I started to live sober.  I solved my problems by drinking it away.  I never faced my fears. I discovered in my early sober days that my fears were overwhelming.   I learned to take baby steps and get the courage to address the problem. At first, I did it with small things.  I learned to speak up.  The more I practiced the easier it got.  I don’t have to drink over it and do nothing. The giant fears soon became smidgins as I had the courage to face the fear.

Today fear is a warning. I logically assess the situation and decide if I should do it or not.   For example, I have a fear of losing control of the car if I drive at 100 miles per hour. So, I decided not to do it.  After my cancer surgery I woke up two days later in the intensive care unit (ICU) on a respirator. I touched a tube that entered my mouth. The nurse said “Don’t touch that. It is keeping you alive.”   I realized that I was on a respirator, and I might die if the doctors cannot save me. I faced the fear of death and calmly accepted my calamity.