I was watching a special on ESPN the other day on a very successful women's basketball coach, and she used to like to tell her players that "attitude determines altitude." I thought that was pretty cool, because it's so true. So much of the quality of my recovery is determined by sheer attitude. A positive attitude fueled by optimism and gratitude can be a very powerful and effective way to deal with a life of adversity and challenges.

I think that's why, when I lived in L.A. back in the 80s, I used to love to watch Magic Johnson of the Lakers play. I'd never before seen an athlete with such a relentlessly positive attitude, always smiling, always determined to win. I always found him to be a real inspiration, that is, of course, until news of all his infidelities came out. Nonetheless, I learned a lot about life from watching him play the game, and I think it's made a real difference in my recovery. It's as if he set a new standard for unconditional happiness and gratitude. His message was real clear: life's a blast and made to be enjoyed to the max. I think if we're not experiencing our recovery that way, then we still have work to do. I guess that's where the Promises come in--until they begin to manifest themselves in our lives, we really have no choice but to continue working our butts off, day by day, or even hour by hour. Whatever it takes to get the job done.